Children are one of the groups that need special treatment when they get monkeypox.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Head of the Task Force Monkeypox PB IDI Hanny Nilasari said that the age group of children is one of the community groups that need to receive special treatment from medical personnel when contracting monkeypox. Likewise with
elderly and people with weak immunity.
Case monkey pox in children have been reported in Germany, England, and the United States. Meanwhile, according to the journal The Lancet, Child and Adolescent Healthchildren are more likely to experience complications when exposed to monkeypox, ranging from
bacterial superinfection, sepsis, keratitis, respiratory complications due to pharyngeal abscess and pneumonia, to encephalitis.
Hanny said monkeypox infection in children was characterized by a rash on the skin surface, appearing on the oral mucosa and then expanding. When experiencing it, children will find it difficult to eat.
“Later, local infection can occur in the area and even infect the inside of the mouth or oropharynx,” said Hanny in a virtual dialogue “Understanding Monkeypox Which is a Global Health Emergency” followed from Instagram IDN Times in Jakarta, Thursday (11/8/2022).
Infection in the oropharynx can trigger a loss of appetite. Children can also experience swallowing problems and others.
“So, children do have to be a special concern,” he said.
Not only children, high-risk groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and people with low immunity also need protection. For example, people with chronic disease cancer and people who are undergoing treatment also need special attention when exposed to the virus monkeypox.
“So they are a group that should also be a concern when exposed monkeypox,” he said.
Monkeypox is now circulating in a number of countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) places the monkeypox status one level below a pandemic.
