Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca shared insights from Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Ateş Kara regarding the increase in respiratory tract infections, particularly starting from September.
In his social media post, Minister Koca presented Prof. Dr. Ateş Kara's video statement, in which the specialist explained the reasons behind the frequent illnesses in children during this period.
Kara called attention to those: "Respiratory infections, which are typically more common in winter months, start to emerge in September, coinciding with the beginning of the school year and children returning to nurseries and kindergartens. The increased interactions among children in these settings contribute to the sharing of microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses."
Kara noted that children are more exposed to bacteria and viruses in school compared to their home environment.
"The most important point here is that we understand that this increase is a natural occurrence when children attend school. However, we also recognize that we can mitigate it to some extent through preventive measures. In terms of prevention, we place a strong emphasis on teaching children the importance of handwashing. We encourage them to take breaks between classes, spend time in open areas, and we especially urge our teachers and students to be mindful that opening classroom windows for ventilation is crucial in reducing the number of infections in children," Kara said in a statement.
