Hepatitis Patients Called Reluctant to Control for Fear of Covid-19

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

Pandemic Covid-19 making health care almost completely focused on efforts to fight the virus. The impact is that there are many other diseases that fall into the category of comorbid Covid-19, including: hepatitis, neglected or even untreated.

One of them is the treatment of hepatitis which is included in the comorbid category of Covid-19. As the number six disease that is dangerous for Covid-19 patients, the handling of hepatitis patients has actually decreased quite drastically.

Various factors became obstacles, one of which was the patient’s fear of coming to the hospital when it was time for control for the reason of being afraid of being exposed to Covid-19.

“Regarding hospital control, in America, for example, it is reported that many people (hepatitis patients) are afraid to go to the hospital. They are afraid to enter hospital airspace which is full of Covid-19,” said Chairman of the Indonesian Liver Research Association (PPHI), Irsan Hasan in a media meeting held by the Ministry of Health in celebration of World Hepatitis Day, Wednesday (28/7).

A study conducted in Asia Pacific showed that people with hepatitis B and C are two to three times more likely to get COVID-19.

Irsan said they were even 10 times more likely to receive treatment in the ICU after being exposed to Covid-19.

“And six times more likely to die,” he added.

Patient Delayed Treatment

Irsan said, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients deliberately delayed their treatment to the hospital. They decided to return to treatment after the Covid-19 pandemic ended.

This delay, he said, would certainly result in the treatment being undertaken. In fact, hepatitis still needs to be treated and controlled every month.

At least once every six months, a patient who has been declared to have hepatitis B must routinely carry out ultrasound and examinations to ensure that no liver cancer is formed.

Disruption of this treatment of course leads to delays in screening to delays in handling when the hepatitis condition worsens.

“In fact, hepatitis patients must be monitored. If they are not monitored, they can miss even those who have been declared cured must still be monitored,” said Irsan.

“We hope that there will be an emergency PPKM or PPKM of whatever level, those who need treatment will still seek treatment,” he said further.

(tst / bait)

[Gambas:Video CNN]

– .