Like Atomic Bomb, Covid-19 Vaccine Will End ‘War’
The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), continues its efforts to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, not only by spraying disinfectant and organizing education and training, but also by trying to help invent a Covid-19 vaccine.
Like the atomic bomb invented by Albert Einstein and J Robert Oppenheimer in 1945, which later ended World War II, the invention of a much-awaited vaccine for SARS CoV-2 — the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease — was expected to put an end to the pandemic.
That statement came from Jusuf Kalla, the two-time vice president of Indonesia, who is now chairman of the PMI, in a speech during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology on Wednesday (15/4/2020) at PMI headquarters in Jakarta. Eijkman is a molecular biology research institution under the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education.
"When the atomic bomb, invented by US scientists, Albert Einstein and J Robert Oppenheimer, was dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945, World War II ended. Like the invention of the atomic bomb, the much-anticipated invention of a Covid-19 antidote by scientists will also end the war against the new coronavirus, which is now a pandemic across the world, including Indonesia," Kalla said, when contacted late Wednesday.
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If it [the vaccine] is discovered, and we can produce more of the drugs ourselves.
Therefore, the collaboration between Eijkman and the PMI to discover a drug derived from antibodies in the blood plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients would help fight the coronavirus.
"If it [the vaccine] is discovered, and we can produce more of the drugs ourselves, more Covid-19 patients will be cured. We hope that the cooperation between the PMI and Eijkman can produce something useful for this country," said Kalla.
The names of Albert Einstein and J Robert Oppenheimer are often associated with the atomic bomb, which has changed the world order since 1945, particularly after two such bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945.
Many countries are competing to do research on vaccines and drugs for Covid-19. After China, the first country to be hit by the new virus, conducted a number of studies, research institutions in Germany, the United States, Singapore and Israel also are also conducting trials to produce a vaccine to stop Covid-19.
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Step forward
The PMI\'s step to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, this week, was also carried out through cooperation with the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology to develop a drug for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. The signing of the collaboration was witnessed by Kalla, the head of the Eijkman Institute, Prof. Amin Subandrio, and PMI and Eijkman staff members.
According to Kalla, the cooperation between the PMI and Eijkman was carried out because, so far, Eijkman has been able to carry out blood plasma engineering for the treatment of Covid-19. "The pattern of cooperation is that the Covid-19 patients who have recovered will have their blood taken and the blood plasma will be used to treat Covid-19 patients. The plasma engineering process will be conducted at 15 PMI laboratories throughout Indonesia. We hope it will yield results soon, so that the Covid-19 pandemic can be overcome soon," Kalla said on Wednesday night.
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Meanwhile, according to Amin Subandrio, Eijkman made a therapeutic medication for Covid-19 patients by taking convalescent plasma from the blood of Covid-19 patients four weeks after they were declared recovered. "The blood plasma will be given to patients who are in a severe condition, with a large amount of virus and whose antibodies have not worked. It is hoped that the antibodies in the blood plasma taken from the recovered patient will work and help fight the virus in the body of the Covid-19 patients," he said.
Amin added that his institution was interested in working with the PMI, because the PMI was one of the institutions that had the ability and authority to take the blood from patients. In addition, the PMI also had blood plasma separation facilities in 15 locations in Indonesia.
"We are interested in working with the PMI, because it is one of the institutions that have the experience and authority to take blood plasma from patients and have blood plasma separation facilities," Amin said.
Furthermore, Kalla said, the PMI welcomed good cooperation from the Eijkman Institute and invited the Eijkman Institute to use the plasma-processing facilities owned by the PMI, which are spread out across 15 cities in Indonesia.
The use of blood plasma from Covid-19 patients who have recovered to cure Covid-19 patients who are still under treatment is now also performed at hospitals in several countries. For example, in the United States, the method has been applied on Covid-19 patients in New York.
Besides the US, France is said to have also begun clinical trials of blood plasma transfusions from survivors of Covid-19 to patients with severe symptoms. Iran claims to have succeeded in healing thousands by using the blood plasma of patients who have recovered.
Disinfectant spraying operation
Meanwhile, to break the chain of the spread of Covid-19 in the Jakarta area, the chairman of the PMI’s Covid-19 committee, Husain Abdullah, stated that the PMI also carried out large-scale disinfectant spraying operations. Entering the fourth day of the operations which, according to the plan, will last for three months, the PMI will be strengthened by Jakarta Police personnel. At least 10 Jakarta Police patrol cars were deployed to escort PMI tank trucks conducting the disinfectant spraying operations.
In addition to guarding the PMI tank trucks, the police personnel also provide education to the public about the prevention of Covid-19 through loudspeakers.
"We feel greatly helped by the presence of personnel from the Jakarta Police, because, besides being able to facilitate the performance of the tank trucks, it can also raise awareness among the public about Covid-19. The most important thing is to be able to create a sense of calm for the community, because the presence of the police during a health crisis like today is what the community needs right now," Husain said.
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In addition to the National Police, the PMI also cooperates with the Indonesian Military (TNI). When giving directives to around 50 TNI personnel participating in a spray gun training course at PMI headquarters last week, Kalla said TNI involvement was needed to counter an invisible virus.
Discipline is very much needed in this war against the epidemics, because what we are facing is an invisible enemy.
"We need the involvement of the TNI, because they have special abilities and are very disciplined. Discipline is very much needed in this war against the epidemics, because what we are facing is an invisible enemy," JK said in his speech during spray gun training at PMI headquarters.
The PMI’s head of disaster management, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Soemarsono said the TNI had an obligation to participate in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19, because Law No. 34/2004 required the TNI to be tasked with handling the disaster, and the Covid-19 outbreak was such a disaster. "The TNI, as stipulated in the law, has a duty other than war, which is called a military operation other than war [OMSP]. The efforts to prevent outbreaks are part of the OMSP," explained Soemarsono.
According to the plan, the TNI personnel involved in the operation will be on duty for three months as the operators of the spray gun vehicle, which is a tank truck specially designed for the PMI and capable of deploying massive amounts of disinfectant on the streets of Jakarta.
Every day, the PMI mobilizes at least 10 tank trucks to carry out disinfectant spraying operations for a full 14 hours in all regions of Jakarta and Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi. In Jakarta, the number of confirmed cases is more than 50 percent of the total number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia.
Involving religious leaders
To prevent and break the chain of the spread of Covid-19 at mosques, churches and cathedrals, the National Team for Covid-19 Prevention of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), which is also chaired by Kalla, does not only spray disinfectant in a number of mosques and churches, but also educates and trains mosque and church representatives to spray themselves, as well as provide medicine and sprayers.
The disinfectant spraying was carried out by the PMI continuously from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and involved TNI personnel and PMI volunteers who would work alternately in two shifts.
"We will [conduct] the spraying from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. by deploying 10 gunners, involving TNI personnel and Red Cross volunteers. They will work 14 hours in two alternating shifts. There is also another fleet in the form of bentor [motorized pedicab], Max [Grandmax pickup truck] and hand-held spray," Husain said.
Husain further explained that the disinfectant spraying operation was a humanitarian operation of the PMI to help the government mitigate and prevent Covid-19. Husain expressed his gratitude to all parties who supported this humanitarian operation, ranging from TNI soldiers and volunteers to donors, so that the operation could proceed.
"The disinfectant spraying aims to break the virus transmission, because Jakarta is referred to as the epicenter of the spread of the virus, the intensity of spraying will be maximized in the Jakarta region, in addition to spraying in other cities in Indonesia, currently more than 200 cities throughout Indonesia," Husain said.
Spraying, continued Husain, was directed at objects that were often in direct contact with humans, not the streets. "This operation is similar in the city of Wuhan, China, which has been successful with various prevention and mitigation efforts," Husain said.