By: Dedi Irawan)*
The public is expected not to be careless about the recent decline in Covid-19 cases. If people are careless and slack in implementing Prokes, it is very likely that a Covid-19 explosion will occur as has happened in other countries.
There is good news in the midst of a pandemic when Corona cases are reported to continue to decline. From 50,000 patients per day, the number slowly decreases to 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, and now there are only 1,000 daily cases. This is a great achievement, because in just 2 months Corona can be controlled properly.
Doctor Wiku Adisasmito stated that the positivity rate in Indonesia fell to less than 5%. This is a good number because it shows the low transmission of Corona in this country. This means that government programs such as vaccination and PPKM are showing results, and people are starting to calm down because Corona is not as violent as 2-3 months ago.
But keep in mind, when the situation is calm then this can be a danger, because during calm times there could be another attack. Epidemiologists predict that by the end of 2021 there is a potential for a third wave of Corona to rise, aka a third attack. So we must be prepared and of course try to prevent that from happening, because if it were, the effect would be very dire.
When the curve begins to decline, it has the potential to rise again and there is a formula that has been studied by epidemiologists. Therefore they can predict the third wave of Corona attacks, because in reality after the first attack, then it slopes, there is another increase in Covid cases. If this happened again, it would be very confusing because the number of Covid patients rose again.
We certainly don’t want to end up miserable in a hospital bed because of Corona. Therefore, it is still necessary to increase vigilance, even though the number of Covid patients has decreased drastically. Remember that this is still a pandemic period so there is still the potential for Corona transmission in Indonesia. So you can’t be lazy to wear a mask and violate other points in the health protocol.
When the situation is quite safe then we should not relax and invite a lot of people for a barbeque party at home. Even though the title is ‘at home’, it is dangerous because it invites people from outside. We don’t know which of them is OTG and who is healthy, and don’t let them catch Corona. At first glance, it seems paranoid, but during a pandemic, you must increase your vigilance.
Remember that currently there is a family cluster, which is transmitted from the office cluster. The father caught Corona from work and then passed it on to his wife and children. If he doesn’t catch it from a co-worker, then he could get Corona while eating at home, which invites a lot of people, because the Covid-19 virus can lurk when many take off their masks when they are about to feed a dish.
Increasing awareness can also be done independently, in the sense that we can take the initiative for regular rapid tests. For example once a month or even 3 times, if the mobility is high enough (for health reasons). After self-screening and being declared healthy, they are also required to comply with the 10M process. Even if you are in the car, you are still required to wear a mask, for the sake of mutual safety.
The decline in Corona cases in Indonesia makes us somewhat relieved but don’t be complacent and don’t be afraid to wear masks. Prokes still have to be adhered to so as not to be infected with Corona, and it is better to prevent than to treat. Instead of being short of breath because of being infected with the Covid-19 virus, and potentially losing their lives because they haven’t received the vaccine.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute
