Indonesia recorded more than 380 pediatric deaths during monitoring of suspected nCoV infection but has not been tested.

Pediatricians and health workers in Indonesia, the fourth-most populous country in the world, say the high number of children dying because the disease is almost only life-threatening among the elderly is due to background factors.

A document issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Health on May 22 said Indonesia found a total of 715 people under the age of 18 infected with nCoV, of which 28 died.

The document also shows that more than 380 deaths among 7,512 children were classified as "monitoring patients", meaning that children with severe symptoms of Covid-19 had not yet been confirmed by the virus.

"Covid-19 proved that we must fight malnutrition," said Achmad Yurianto, a senior Indonesian health ministry official.

He said children were trapped in an "evil circle" when malnutrition and anemia made them susceptible to nCoV.

Since the first recorded case of nCoV in March, Indonesia has so far reported 2,000 deaths, second only to China in East Asia.

With officially published data of 28 children under 18 years of age dying from Covid-19, Indonesia is still the country with high child mortality, 2.1%.

Indonesia, a developing country with 270 million people, is suffering from three nutritional burdens, including stunting, maternal anemia and obesity, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.

"Nutritional status affects children's immune function," said Dr. Nastiti Kaswandani, a pediatric pulmonary specialist in Jakarta.

Pediatricians say the poorly equipped health care system is also a problem.

The shortage of equipment is more pronounced in localities outside Jakarta.

Iyansyah, whose 9-month-old son died from Covid-19 on Lombok island, West Nusa Tenggara province, said the hospital had no pediatrics.

Updated: 18:16, 11/6 | Source: WorldOMeters