Reports by GERARD GIMINO, IYLIA MARSYA ISKANDAR and VENESA DEVI
PETALING JAYA: Amid the rising number of daily Covid-19 cases, health experts are urging parents to take more serious precautions when bringing their children to public areas.
They say it is risky to bring young ones out in public, especially to crowded and confined places with minimal distancing or self-hygiene measures practised by those around them.
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Experts also say the possibility of contracting long Covid alongside developing multi-system inflammatory syndrome Covid-19 (MIS-C) among unvaccinated children is another concerning reality.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia public health expert Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said most children did not understand preventive measures such as mask wearing, maintaining physical hygiene or distancing.
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“Hence, it is not advisable for parents to bring young ones to crowded areas due to a higher risk of contracting Covid-19.
“Similarly, children under five also have a high risk of developing severe symptoms if they get infected,” she said.
Given that both influenza and hand, foot and mouth disease cases were also on the rise, Dr Sharifa said parents should monitor their children’s health as some could not articulate their symptoms.
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“If your child has no appetite to eat, be sure to check whether they have a sore throat or fever.
“It is also important for parents to note how prolonged fevers reaching 38°C may cause seizures,” she said, adding that parents should bring their children to the nearest healthcare facility if they showed any symptoms.
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She noted that parents should also get their children vaccinated against Covid-19 and influenza.
Dr Sharifa also said long Covid could affect young children in the form of MIS-C, respiratory and neurological issues.
KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist Prof Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail said although it was concerning to see children in public areas without masks or physical distancing, it was not practical to tell families to stay home all the time.
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“We must remember that children below five have not yet been given the vaccine, which leaves them susceptible to severe infections,” he said when contacted.
Dr Zulkifli, who is also the Technical Committee chairman for the Immunise4Life Programme, said the low uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine among those aged between five and nine was also concerning given the current surge.
“Parents also do not have to worry about side effects of the vaccine on their children as it is very rare at the 0.1mcg dose that is given,” he said.
Dr Zulkifli mentioned that unvaccinated children or babies who were infected with Covid-19 also ran the risk of experiencing long Covid as well as MIS-C.
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“These groups can also contract severe acute infections, which result in damage to the lungs and present a need for ventilation.
“This is especially severe among children who have other diseases such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, kidney disease or even obesity,” he said, adding that risk of mortality was higher among children with comorbidities.
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He added that although cases of long Covid or MIS-C were rare, he did have colleagues treating them, adding that they were always on the lookout for such cases.
Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming, of Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, said it was not advisable for parents to bring young children to crowded places with poor ventilation.
“For this, air-conditioned eateries and crowded shopping malls should be avoided,” she added.
She said family members could also help protect those under five by getting both their vaccinations and booster shots.
“Parents should also teach their children ways to maintain hand hygiene and keep them at home when they feel sick,” she noted.
As of Wednesday, only 41% of children aged five to 11 had received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 49.8% receiving at least one dose.
Of the total population, 83.9% had received both doses of the vaccine, 85.9% receiving one dose and 49.5% having received their boosters.
