TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesia election day or the 2019 General Elections held on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, is followed by the unfortunate reports of the deaths of polling station working committee (KPPS) members, which were mostly attributed to fatigue.

Up to this moment, 12 KPPS members in the West Java province reportedly died of extreme fatigue after being stationed at numerous polling stations (TPS). Other areas around Indonesia reporting deaths of KPPS members include Bekasi city, Bogor regency, Malang, Tasikmalaya, and Karawang.

Commenting on the issue, doctor Christy Rudita Rivanti said the human body did not have certain limits on staying awake. However, she said there were several reactions and changes that would appear when someone engaged in 24-32 hour activities straight sans any rest.

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“There is no certain limit on how long a human can go on without sleeping, mainly because this depends on each individual. However, extreme fatigue or a sudden drop can appear within 24 hours or up to 32 hours without any rest,” the doctor told Tempo on Sunday, April 21.

She explained that it could be explained by the human body’s inability to detoxify, which was only possible through sleep. Diseases such as diabetes and hypoglycemia can also result from constant fatigue.

“Detoxification regenerates damaged cells and activates the immune system. This detoxification process will not happen if a person does not sleep,” said the doctor, who also warned people not to substitute fatigue with energy drinks, which can lead to the increased heartbeat on top of initial fatigue.

SARAH ERVINA DARA SIYAHAILATUA