For those of you who are on vacation, be aware of three diseases after a long holiday

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA – Holidays during the Covid-19 pandemic have become a tough day for Indonesians to choose to leave their homes or stay at home.

The government provides joint leave for the period from late October to early November in connection with the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Precisely at the end of October there are 5 holidays starting from 28 October 2020 to 1 November 2020.

Practitioner and clinical academic at the University of Indonesia, Ari Fahrial Syam, explained that there was a counterproductive dualism during the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. First, people are asked to stay at home, but on the other hand, various discounts and promos are excluded from airplane and hotel costs. Finally, some people choose to leave the house for vacation.

“On Tuesday, the day before holidays there was already a traffic jam in Puncak. On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, there were congestion on various roads, ”said Ari through a press release, Thursday (29/10/2020).

Ari said, this condition was still followed by the hope that the long holiday would not be repeated on the previous holidays, there was an increase in cases of Covid-19 after the holidays. Moreover, a drastic increase occurred after the Eid holiday, the number of Covid-19 cases reaching 25,000 at the beginning of June 2020.

Likewise, in the long holiday at the end of August 2020 there was an increase, especially family clusters and the number of additional cases for us was around 3000 per day. Currently, the increase in cases per day nationally has an average of over 4000 per day.

In addition to concerns that there will be an increase in Covid-19 cases, Ari Fahrial reminded that there are several groups of diseases that are at risk of occurring due to this long holiday. Ari explained, there are three types of diseases that will occur during this holiday, namely; illness due to fatigue, as well as chronic diseases that recur after the holidays, and accidents that occur during holidays.

“Of course, the condition of fatigue and recurrence of chronic diseases will have a risk of having an impact on the occurrence of Covid-19 infection,” he continued.

Here are some details of 3 types of diseases that can potentially be experienced after a long holiday during the Covid-19 pandemic.

1. Disease Due to Fatigue

Diseases that usually arise after holidays and after a tiring journey are upper respiratory infections and diarrhea.

To arrive at a vacation spot, one has to take a tiring journey either by one’s own vehicle or by public transportation. In addition, during travel, people tend to eat only what is.

“Especially in a pandemic era like this, they think twice about eating and drinking in existing restaurants, especially when the restaurant is full,” he said.

This situation will cause the travelers’ immune system after the holidays to decrease. When this happens, travelers are prone to catching colds or upper respiratory tract infections.

In addition, during the trip there is a tendency to buy delicious food or drinks homemade or in packaged form during travel where food safety and hygiene is questionable. As a result, a person is prone to diarrhea.

“Both diseases, both ARI and diarrhea are very dominant for tourists,” he explained.

In addition, because in general, travelers do not rest and do not move while on the vehicle, usually the traveler experiences headaches and aches.

According to Ari, usually this situation can be overcome by getting enough sleep. The problem is, those who are on vacation usually forget their own fatigue. So that the state of fatigue gets worse due to lack of attention.

“Of course, this situation will worsen a person’s immune system so that he is susceptible to infection, one of which is Covid-19 infection. Especially if the principles of health protocol are not consistently applied, ”he said.

2. Recurrent Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases tend to recur after the holidays. While on vacation, apart from enjoying the location in a vacation spot, people are generally also looking for delicious culinary delights. Tourists also choose to eat and drink at these culinary places.

Of course this should be a concern besides consuming food and drinks with high caloric and fat values, when eating together in restaurants with closed rooms, the potential for transmission to fellow visitors must also be a concern.

“We know that the food and drinks provided are usually more numerous and varied. Generally these foods and drinks are high in fat, sweet and salty. Various drinks with high caloric value usually accompany the delicacy of the food served by the restaurant, “said Ari. .

Ari admitted that this food and drink is also consumed by someone who already has a chronic disease, so that the disease can recur.

In addition, diabetics will tend to have uncontrolled blood sugar. People with high blood pressure have uncontrolled blood pressure.

Whereas in people with hypercholesterolemia or high uric acid, the condition of high cholesterol and uric acid becomes worse. Conversely, if people who are obese after the holidays tend to experience soaring weight gain.

“Heartburn will also recur due to eating irregularly and consuming excessive fatty foods, chocolate and cheese,” he said.

3. Illness due to accidents

Ari explained, during trips both departing and from vacation, the potential for accidents also increases. Fatigue, drowsiness, or less than optimal vehicle conditions can be a factor in causing accidents on the road. Apart from the erratic weather, the possibility of rising sea water and flooding can cause accidents.

In the end, according to Ari, anticipating various diseases after the holiday, including contracting Covid-19 infection, is something that must be anticipated.

“We must always remember, a series of holidays with various activities will have a negative impact on health,” he continued.

Therefore, people who take holidays outside the home must be vigilant and continue to make efforts to prevent Covid-19 and other holiday-related diseases.