By: Raditya Rahman)*
The government has not yet decided when the pandemic status will end, so it is important for all of us to remain disciplined in implementing health protocols as well as following the vaccination program that is still running today.
Many experts consider that the health protocol that must be carried out is not enough to just implement 3M but must be increased to 5M. Coupled with 2M i.e. Avoid Crowds and Reduce Mobility.
Corporate Secretary of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk (BRI) Aestika Oryza Gunarto considered that the addition of the 2M protocol was actually nothing new. This seems to be often emphasized by policy makers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 since the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) were implemented.
Aestika itself seems to have greatly reduced the intensity of activities with high mobility and away from crowds or crowded places, since Covid-19 first broke out last year until now .
According to him, reducing mobility does not mean that you cannot do activities and are not productive. Now many offices have implemented Work From Home (WFH) and they can still be productive even though they are working from home. Especially now that there are many digital platforms available to communicate and work from anywhere.
Business actors have also started to innovate by doing online marketing, so that buying and selling activities can be carried out without having to meet in person.
In addition, with vaccination, of course this is a good step in preventing the spread of Covid-19. However, Aestika also appealed to the public not to ignore health protocols, because vaccinations and health protocols are one unit in breaking the chain of Covid-19 spread.
It should also be noted that many studies have shown that diligent hand washing can actually reduce the risk of transmitting viruses, including the corona virus, by 35%.
While the use of cloth masks can reduce virus transmission by up to 45%, while cloth masks can reduce the risk of contracting by 75%.
On a different occasion, the Minister of Religion, Yaqut Choli Qoumas issued Instruction Number 01 of 2021 regarding the socialization movement for the implementation of the 5M health protocol which was a follow-up to President Joko Widodo’s order.
Jokowi has asked the Minister of Religion to help optimize the implementation of the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM).
In general, the instruction asks ASN within the Ministry of Religion to be an example in implementing 5M in every activity in the office or outside the office. In addition, ASN must also be active in socializing and implementing health protocol disciplines within their working units, including involving religious and community leaders. ASN of the Ministry of Religion was also asked to minimize activities that have the potential to cause large crowds of people.
In addition, Jokowi also asked the relevant ranks to involve as many experts and epidemiologists as possible. It is hoped that the involvement and cooperation of experts with the government will result in better and comprehensive policy designs.
Until now, the number of Covid-19 patients is still volatile, additional patients are often found after long holidays. So that one of the efforts besides adherence to health protocols is to run a vaccination program.
Vaccines are products of biological substances in the form of antigens that are made with the aim of stimulating the formation of specific immunity against bacteria or viruses that cause certain diseases, so that when exposed, people who receive the vaccine can avoid transmission or avoid serious illness due to the disease. The vaccine will work when it is inserted into the body either by injection, oral or intranasal.
The Covid-19 vaccine itself is a vaccine that is given by injection into the muscle mass of the upper arm to stimulate the immune system or the immune system against the virus.
The Covid-19 vaccine is important because it offers protection in the form of immunity without being infected with the corona virus.
In addition, vaccination also aims to encourage the formation of herd immunity or group immunity. This is important because there are some people who have not or cannot be vaccinated such as people with autoimmune disease, children, etc.
The 5M health protocol and vaccination are an inseparable combination, both of which must work in synergy so that the covid-19 pandemic can end.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students