The impact of the Delta variant in children was not seen, but when this Omicron variant surfaced, the trend tended to change
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The trend of COVID-19 cases in children had changed since the emergence of the new variant Omicron, according to epidemiologist at Griffith University, Australia, Dicky Budiman.

"The impact of the Delta variant in children was not seen, but when this Omicron variant surfaced, the trend tended to change," the epidemiologist told ANTARA on Saturday.

Budiman expounded that the trend of COVID-19 cases was currently starting to shift to infect children under the age of five years.

This shift in trend was apparent from the cases of children infected and hospitalizations that had doubled globally as compared to those of the Delta variant.

Infants or children under the age of one constituted nearly 20 percent of the total cases in hospitals.

Budiman remarked that the shift can have two grave impacts on the family wherein due to Omicron's fast transmission, a child can have a 70-percent likelihood of contracting respiratory infections.

"The Omicron variant has a likelihood of causing respiratory tract infections that are 70 times higher than those of the Delta strain, especially for children under three years of age and maybe even five years and under," he remarked.

Budiman also noted that the infection might be causal to the symptom of runny nose in children and the fluids could later obstruct the child's respiratory tract.

Meanwhile, the infection can affect the psychology of parents, especially young ones. They tend to worry, become confused, and also get panicky regarding the condition of their child.

In a bid to optimally respond to this phenomenon, Budiman urged parents to start limiting children from meeting other people. Meanwhile, mothers, who have recently given birth, are expected to avoid contact with outsiders.

On a separate occasion, Chairman of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Dr Piprim Basarah Yanuarso pointed to an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in children in the past month.

"Reports indicated a 10-fold increase in pediatric patients as compared to January. The growing rate is extraordinary," Yanuarso noted.

The IDAI chairman stated that the trend of increasing cases of COVID-19 in children started on January 24, 2022, with 646 patients, and thereafter grew to 2,775 patients in January 31, while the patient count reached 7,190 on February 7 or an increase of 300 percent.

To this end, the IDAI urges parents to always remind their children to wear masks, wash hands, and avoid crowds. The association does not recommend parents to bring children to a crowded place and environments with poor ventilation.

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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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