100 Days of Coronavirus in Indonesia: Lessons and Good News

KOMPAS.com – It has been nearly 100 days since the first early cases of Coronavirus in Indonesia was first confirmed.

The country’s first case was announced by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowo) on 2 March 2020.

Since then, Indonesia Coronavirus-related cases continue to surge and experts are saying the archipelagic nation has not yet reached the peak of the curve.

Read Also: Indonesia Coronavirus Cases Break Three Records in One Week

As of 13 June, cases of Coronavirus in Indonesia have surpassed 37,000 infections in which 2,091 people have died.

Deaths resulting from Coronavirus in Indonesia are also the highest among the ASEAN Member-States (AMS).

Read Also: Indonesia’s Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 2000 Mark

While there is good news after over three months, there are plenty of lessons to be learned for Indonesia to improve.

Lessons for Covid-19 Management in Indonesia

When it was first announced that Coronavirus in Indonesia had already spread, the government and society undermined the significant situation.

A spokesperson for the Covid-19 Task Force at UNS Hospital, Tonang Dwi Ardyanto assessed that the approach to handling the early cases of Coronavirus in Indonesia lacked seriousness.

It was only until the second month did the government begin to take a staunch approach in managing the global pandemic.

The central government imposed large-scale social distancing restrictions (PSBB) and conducted mass socialization for its Clean and Healthy Lifestyle Habits initiative.

Unfortunately for Indonesia, the lockdown-style approach did not go hand-in-hand with aggressive testing and contact tracing measures.

Unrest over lockdown grew nearing the final days of Eid ul-Fitr, Indonesia’s most important holiday celebration.

Tonang predicts that it will take another month for Indonesia to reach the peak of Coronavirus infections. The prediction only applies if the government can successfully test 30,000 specimens daily.

Read Also: WHO Releases Indonesia Coronavirus Report

“Going forward, it’s hoped that there is more transparency and cooperation between the government and other stakeholders to be more cohesive. Right now, that’s something that is missing,” Tonang commented.

Some Good News

In line with the global trend, confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Indonesia over the past 100 days are mostly those with mild symptoms.

This eases the burden on the country’s fragmented healthcare sector whilst preventing it from reaching overcapacity.

More recently, the government has moved ahead in increasing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing capacity which aids in different aspects.

It also developed its own antigen and antibody rapid test helping to support surveillance and case mapping of the novel virus’ spread.

Read Also: Indonesia Seeks Partners for Coronavirus Vaccine Production

Drug trials of a possible vaccine developed by the Indonesian State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Airlangga University, and the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) are being conducted.

The drug combination was founded by Airlangga University and will be distributed to hospitals if the drug trials prove successful. (Writer: Dandy Bayu Bramasta | Editor: Inggried Dwi Wedhaswary) 

Source: https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2020/06/13/150200565/100-hari-virus-corona-di-indonesia-kabar-baik-dan-catatan-penanganan-covid