#covid-19

Vaksinasi dan Ancaman Mutasi Virus

Vaksinasi penting, tapi jelas bukan panasea. Pilar utama menurunkan penularan adalah pembatasan mobilitas, pelacakan, dan yang sangat penting memperbanyak tes. Kenapa tes Covid-19 justru makin mahal bagi rakyat? Babak baru dengan vaksin Covid-19 yang membangun optimisme perlu dibarengi dengan kuatnya kejujuran (dan keadilan) dalam kebijakan pemerintah. Badan Pengawasan Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) sudah mengeluarkan izin penggunaan darurat, menyusul Majelis Ulama Indonesia yang menyatakan bahwa vaksin Sinovac halal. Presiden Jokowi menjadi orang yang pertama menerima suntikan vaksin Sinovac pada 14 Januari 2021 untuk memberikan teladan imunisasi Covid-19. Seminggu sebelumnya, Menko Perekonomian Airlangga Hartarto selaku Ketua Komite Penanganan Covid-19 dan Pemulihan Ekonomi Nasional mengumumkan penerapan semacam pembatasan sosial skala besar (PSBB) untuk Jawa dan Bali, terhitung 11-25 Januari. Ini langkah bagus sekaligus korektif.

Use Technology to Prevent Health Workers from Becoming Covid-19 Victims

The number of victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia continues to increase. Not only ordinary people, health workers (health workers), such as doctors and nurses, are also victims. Can technology reduce the Covid-19 pandemic and reduce the number of casualties, especially among health workers? This material is discussed in the webinar "Quo Vadis Covid-19 Pandemic: Technology vs Public Concern”, Friday (27/11). The webinar held by President Development Center (PDC) presented three speakers, which are Prof. dr. Djoko Santoso, Ph.D., Sp.PD, K-GH, FINASIM, professor of the Faculty of Medicine from Airlangga University, Surabaya; Prof. Dr. dr. Bambang Supriyatno, Sp.AK, Chairperson of Indonesian Medical Council 2014-2020; and Prof. Dr. Komaruddin Hidayat, Rector of Indonesian International Islamic University. The webinar was hosted by the President University Rector, Prof. Dr. Jony Oktavian Haryanto.

The Fading Voice of Doctors in Pandemic Policy

The widely circulating reports about preparing vaccinations against Covid-19 have given rise to optimism and anxiety at the same time amid the protracted pandemic. The widely circulating reports about preparing vaccinations against Covid-19 have given rise to optimism and anxiety at the same time amid the protracted pandemic. Some people are so optimistic that they are convinced that a vaccine will mean the end of the pandemic. As someone who works every day at a hospital and still has time to read various medical journals and media reports, this writer still finds it hard to understand the present circumstances. Nine months since President Joko Widodo announced the first patients to test positive for Covid-19 in Depok, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has kept increasing until today. Worse still, public fear over the pandemic is waning.

Suara Dokter yang Kian Sayup dalam Kebijakan Pandemi

Sekalipun dalam penanganan pandemi Covid-19 ini ada gemerincing uang besar, sebaiknya suara dunia kedokteran, isu kesehatan, lebih diperhatikan lagi. Gencarnya pemberitaan tentang persiapan vaksinasi Covid-19 memompakan rasa optimistis sekaligus gamang dalam pandemi berkepanjangan ini. Saking optimistisnya, sampai ada yang meyakini bahwa vaksinasi akan segera mengakhiri pandemi. Sebagai orang yang setiap hari bekerja dalam lingkungan rumah sakit dan masih sempat membaca berbagai jurnal medis serta media massa, tetap terasa sulit bagi penulis bisa memahami kondisi saat ini. Sembilan bulan sejak pertama kali Presiden Joko Widodo mengumumkan adanya pasien positif Covid-19 di Depok, jumlah kasus positif Covid-19 hari ini masih menanjak. Sedihnya, rasa takut masyarakat terhadap pandemi ini makin luntur. Mengabaikan protokol kesehatan menjadi pemandangan biasa.

Being Agile Against the Pandemic

Only a day after declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic (11/3/2020), director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sent a letter to President Jokowi. The WHO asked that President Jokowi immediately declare a national emergency; build a laboratory of adequate scale; expand case search, tracking, monitoring and careful data collection; and intensify preventive measures, including by encouraging people to wash their hands frequently. However, this is an “exasperated” response on the part of WHO to see Indonesia’s response, which was considered too relaxed. For more than two months, the Health Ministry boasted a zero status of positive COVID-19 cases. However, on Monday (2/3/2020), two weeks ago, the defense was broken. The President announced that two Indonesian citizens had tested positive for COVID-19. There was a Japanese citizen visiting Indonesia, then continuing to Singapore. A careful examination in Singapore confirmed that the Japanese had tested positive for COVID-19. Tracking was later conducted in Indonesia on someone who made contact with the Japanese citizen. The person was found and tested positive for being infected, then the President announced it.