By: Agung Suwandaru)*
The government continues to improve mitigation to deal with the third wave of Corona. The public is also advised to always obey the Prokes to prevent an increase in Covid-19 cases.
At the beginning of the pandemic at the beginning of 2020, we were all afraid of being exposed to Corona, and just staying at home. Even all the items that come are sprayed with anti-bacterial liquid and the food is always reheated. Masks had become rare and their prices skyrocketed.
However, now the situation is relatively safe, when there are no areas with red zone status and level 4 PPKM. Schools have begun to open again for face-to-face learning and offices are also active again. But we must not be complacent because the pandemic is not over yet, let alone there is a prediction of a third wave of Corona attacks.
The prediction for the third wave of Corona will come at the end of this year or early 2022, because there is usually a Naru holiday and human mobility increases. So the Covid case could rise again. To overcome this, the government has put in place several strategies to prevent another major attack from happening.
Spokesperson for the vaccination of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Siti Nadia Tirmizi, stated that the government’s first strategy in dealing with the third wave of Corona attacks was to urge the public to continue to adhere to the 10M health protocol, and there was zero tolerance for violators. Because, only with strict procedures are we all safe from the deadly Corona attack.
The second strategy is to increase epidemiological testing, as well as to establish closely traced radio contacts. Tracking and monitoring of the Corona virus genome is also carried out, so that something worrisome does not happen. The tracking of the SARS-COV-2 virus is called genomic surveillance.
While the third strategy is to convert the beds in the hospital and increase it to 30%-40%. As well as ensuring the supply of PPE and medical equipment is always available. In a sense, for example, there are additional Corona patients due to the third wave of attacks, then the hospital is ready and will not be confused because there are not enough beds or not enough oxygen cylinders.
It is also not possible to enter the hospital carelessly and visitors are not allowed to enter at all, even to see non-Covid patients. This policy was carried out because the hospital was still prone to being a place of Corona transmission, especially if visitors had not been vaccinated.
Volunteer reserves are also prepared so that later, for example, when the number of Corona patients increases, the health workers will not be tired and have to take long shifts like when the patient curve goes up. Volunteers are needed because health workers are also limited.
In addition, isolation centers have also been prepared, so that Covid patients do not have to self-isolate in their respective homes. The reason is because when self-isolation is not necessarily in accordance with the standards of the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, at the isolation center, places and medicines are provided, and there is strict supervision. So that the patient will be healthy.
Various strategies were carried out by the government to deal with the third wave of Corona attacks. It’s not necessarily a spike in patients again but it never hurts to be prepared. It is better to prepare ‘ammunition’ in the form of medical devices, oxygen cylinders, and backup volunteers, than later there will be a surge in patients and eventually get caught in a commotion.
The public is also asked to strictly adhere to the 10M health protocol and do not take off masks carelessly. Always remember to wash your hands, take a shower, wash your hair, and change clothes when you get home. Also keep the environment clean and increase body immunity, and stay away from crowds for a while. All of this is done so as not to get Corona and there will be no third wave attacks.
)*The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students