Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
Head of Applied Genetic Engineering and Protein Design Laboratory LIPI, Wien Kusharyoto responded to the possibility that Indonesia could be free from the pandemic Covid-19 before the vaccine.
According to Wien, this could happen if Indonesia implemented strict health protocols, learning from the implementation of Taiwan’s or Thailand’s strict health protocols.
“Actually we can see the conditions of Taiwan or Thailand which have succeeded in reducing infection cases to remain very low. The implementation of strict health protocols,” Wien told CNNIndonesia.com, Tuesday (15/9).
Wien said that Taiwan and Thailand are not just implementing protocols for maintaining distance, washing hands and using masks. The two countries have also strictly ordered their citizens to avoid crowds, especially in closed spaces.
In addition to the health protocol, he said that Taiwan and Thailand were intensively conducting testing, tracking and maintenance.
Furthermore, Wien predicts humans will coexist for a long time with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. So, vaccines will still be used so that someone can avoid Covid-19 disease.
“Although it is not guaranteed that the vaccine can prevent infection and then prevent transmission of the virus,” he said.
On the other hand, Wien said herd immunity also must be achieved to reduce the spread of the virus. However, he said herd immunity took a long time.
For example, herd immunity against measles with a vaccination program and close monitoring takes up to 15 years to reach 95 percent. Meanwhile, Covid-19 may not be that different.
“Transmission can still occur, especially among those who have not been vaccinated,” he said.
Covid-19 is different from SARS and MERS
Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman stated that the character of the Covid-19 pandemic is different from SARS and MERS. He said that Covid-19 was dominated by non-symptomatic cases and was rapidly contagious.
This condition, he continued, made Covid-19 potentially last longer even with a vaccine.
Related to this, Dicky revealed that there are two options that will occur. First, gradually Covid-19 will decrease to a negligible level due to safe vaccines and definitive drugs.
In addition, by continuing to carry out a strategy of testing, tracing contact cases, and isolating quarantine which is strengthened by getting used to wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining distance.
“The second option, the worst is that Covid-19 will continue to exist,” said Dicky.
More than that, Dicky explained the true vaccine is to prevent the case from getting worse. For example, it relieves symptoms and does not cause organ damage or requires treatment.
Previously, molecular biologist Ahmad Rusdan Handoyo believed Indonesia could be free from the Covid-19 corona virus pandemic without having to wait for vaccines or drugs. He said this was because vaccines and drugs were still taking a long time.
The key to breaking the chain of the Covid-19 pandemic is in a combination of 3T (testing, tracing, and treatment) and 3M (wearing a mask, maintaining distance and washing hands).
This key must also be supported by policy lockdown or Large-Scale Sector Restrictions (PSBB) which the community must comply with stops mobility which is a factor in the spread of Covid-19.
“A combination of 3T, 3M and in quotes lockdown. Because vaccine clinical trials are not necessarily successful, anticipatory steps are needed, “said Ahmad when contacted CNNIndonesia.com, Sunday (13/9).
Ahmad said the SARS and MERS pandemics caused by a corona virus which is similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be resolved without vaccines and drugs. This is because both pandemics ended before clinical trials were completed.
However, it should be remembered that SARS and MERS are quite easy to identify because they cause symptoms for an infected person.
So that the authorities can easily isolate these sufferers. On the other hand, many Covid-19 patients do not cause symptoms at all.
“The point is that controlling the SARS and MERS outbreaks is easy because it is quite focused on symptomatic ones,” said Ahmad.
Ahmad explained why SARS and MERS patients can cause symptoms while many Covid-19 patients don’t cause symptoms.
According to Ahmad, the SARS-CoV-2 virus prefers to infect the upper respiratory tract, such as the nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx as a place to replicate. This results in the infected person causing no symptoms.
Even though there are symptoms, Ahmad said many people don’t realize it because it’s just flu symptoms like a little runny nose and sneezing.
“Infection of the upper respiratory cavity does not cause shortness of breath. The impact because it replicates in the upper cavity is a symptom that doesn’t seem so severe. In fact, 80 percent of people have no symptoms or it’s very mild, but once they reach the lungs, they start to show symptoms,” said Ahmad. .
(jps / mik)
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