Khairun Nissa Berawi Academis of Medical Faculty of Unila Research Council Member of Lampung
ON March 2nd, 2020, President Joko Widodo finally announced that there were already two patients infected by COVID-19 in Depok, West Java. The transmission came from Japanese citizens who turned out to be Covid19 patients as they returned to Japan. This preliminary data places Indonesia on a list of eight countries with positive confirmed coronavirus cases.
This news even triggered panic buying in several big cities. Large-scale purchase of masks and hand sanitizer made the stock runs out of many supermarkets in several major cities in Indonesia. However, this is not a good and sustainable solution to prevent the development or increasing severity of this case.
Coronavirus has become the most followed issue in early 2020. This viral infection is known as COVID-19 first discovered in Wuhan City, China, at the end of December 2019. The disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) allegedly from the consumption of wild animals such as bats to humans and transmitted to fellow humans.
Coronavirus affects people of all ages, male or female, whether babies, children, adults, the elderly, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. This virus spread quickly in Wuhan, so the government isolated the access because it has now spread to other regions.
Several countries in China and around eight countries have reported positive results from this alleged COVID-19 cases. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea considered being countries with the highest number of cases. However, Iran, Italy, and South Korea reported experiencing a more significant increase in cases that made the government, through the Ministry of Health, issued a travel ban to the three countries.
Outside these three countries, people are required to bring a health card with a valid time. Before landing, they must fill out a health alert card. This policy itself has been effective since March 8, 2020, with the possibility of vigilance that changes according to the case of COVID-19 in the world.
Coronavirus is a class of viruses that infect the respiratory tract. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three initial symptoms when the body has infected by coronavirus. The symptoms are fever, coughing, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The symptoms can occur after 2-14 days of exposure.
The earliest symptoms are fever of more than 37.5 ° C, dry cough, sore throat, and fatigue. For severe cases, it causes acute respiratory disorders such as pneumonia. This case is similar to Middle-East virus infection Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that have been pandemic in many countries in the world.
In severe cases, there is also a symptom known as respiratory distress syndrome. This symptom is experienced by those who have comorbidities, the elderly, people with Immune system disorders, HIV, also hypertension and diabetes patients.
The diagnosis made by checking travel history to Wuhan, China, or countries with suspected cases and followed by a physical and supporting examination which is a laboratory examination. Sputum or smeared throat, airway, as well as blood serum examination will be checked in the laboratory.
Corona Prevention
However, the most important point that must be known from this phenomenon is how to increase awareness by preventing the transmission, so we and others will not suffer from COVID-19. The prevention of coronavirus transmission is the best response to do rather than being excessive in fear and panic that ultimately limit ourselves to move.
COVID-19 transmission can be in various ways. Transmission come from the droplet, touching the eyes, mouth, or nose when outside the home without washing hands first, and close contact with infected people, such as touching or shaking hands.
The prevention is certainly by avoiding contact with the agent of the virus which is usually carried by the patient’s droplet. The use of masks is one of the quite effective methods to prevent transmission.
The masks, as written on the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO), will be effective if combined with routine hand washing. Wash your hands as often as possible using running water and soap for 30 seconds or use hand sanitizer for 20 seconds before eating or after eating, and after completing the activity is considered to eradicating the virus.
People must learn how to use masker properly. It starts from washing your hands first, cover your mouth and nose with a mask, and make sure there is no gap between the face and the mask.
Then, avoid touching the mask while using it. If you accidentally touch the mask, clean your hands again by washing them because the outside might have been contaminated. Change the mask to a new one as soon as it damp, use a one-time use mask. Never touch the front side when you remove the mask, touch the back or inside of the mask. After that, throw immediately to the trash. Wash your hands with water and alcohol-based soap to prevent unconscious virus contamination
Healthy Lifestyle Management
Indonesia has many advantages that many other countries might not have because of the tropical climate. At this time, we have entered hot weather with the temperature above 26 ° C and low humidification. This is a benefit that can be expected to reduce the level of virulence of COVID-19. So, sunbathing for 15-30 minutes can also be a recommendation for prevention and strengthening prevention.
Indonesia is also rich in herbal sources, such as various types of rhizomes that are often consumed by people or various antioxidants. These herbals also strengthen the immune to fight the virulence of this virus. In addition, various healthy lifestyle managements start with balanced nutrition intake with sufficient diversity, quantity, and quality. It is also followed by a clean and healthy lifestyle including using the mask properly in combination with proper hand-washing.
Then, do regular physical activity including exercise, stress management, enough sleep. We hope that this will eventually become strong points for all levels of society in Indonesia to prevent the development of the COVID-19 case. I hope that the choice of drug treatment regimens and the vaccine can be found soon so that all current cross-border restrictions can be ended immediately. Greetings of peace. Tabik pun.
