Wear a Face Mask, Do Tracing

Kompas/Priyombodo

Residents wore masks while at Pasar Senen Station, Central Jakarta, which began to be crowded with travelers, on Sunday (12/20/2020). Prospective train passengers are required to take a rapid test before departure to control the transmission of Covid-19.

People\'s compliance with health protocols has weakened, while the number of Covid-19 victims continues to surge. Hospitals have become increasingly overwhelmed. A policy breakthrough is needed.

We see the weakening of people’s compliance with health protocols in everyday life. We can easily find people not wearing face masks. Even if they wear face masks, many don\'t wear them properly. People may be tired of coping with a pandemic that has raged for almost a year and are now willing to compromise their safety.

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Nationally, the number of people wearing face masks, washing their hands regularly and maintaining physical distance or practicing 3M was only 55 percent (Kompas, 3/1/2020). This situation needs to be further improved with various breakthroughs, considering that positive cases continue to grow. The first M, namely wearing face masks, if necessary, should be made mandatory. This is to minimize (Covid-19) transmission, which is getting worse day after day. "We seem to be waiting our turn [to get infected]. It\'s getting closer and closer,” some residents said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also emphasized that face masks must be used as part of a comprehensive action strategy to suppress transmission and save lives.

One study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the USA concluded that 20 days after wearing face masks was declared mandatory at many spots in Germany it showed to be effective in reducing the number of new infections by about 45 percent. Face masks are also the most cost-effective way. The World Health Organization (WHO) also emphasized that face masks must be used as part of a comprehensive action strategy to suppress transmission and save lives.

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

A health worker encourages his colleague during a random antigen check at the Rest Area Kilometer 57, Cikampek Toll Road, Karawang, West Java, Wednesday (23/12/2020) afternoon.

Therefore, the procurement, distribution and education on the use of face masks is important to do. Cloth face masks must be three layers and they are only for the general public under the age of 60 years and have no comorbidities. Meanwhile, medical workers or anyone who are not in good health, have mild symptoms, such as muscle pain, coughing and sore throat; those who await Covid-19 test results, or treat suspected Covid-19 cases outside of health facilities are required to wear the medical mask. It is at this point that all levels of government, from the central government to neighborhood groups, must ensure that there are cloth or medical masks for anyone who needs them at any time.

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Even so, obliging the people to wear face masks is not enough. WHO also reminded that the use of face masks alone is not enough to provide adequate protection against Covid-19. The strategy to break the chain of transmission, which includes contact tracing, should be made mandatory. Some Covid-19 survivors acknowledged that when they were tested positive, no authorities did the tracing of people who made close contact with them. They generally took the initiative to contact their colleagues or close contacts, who then went for Covid-19 tests. What if they don\'t care or don\'t have money for the test?

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In many countries, the tracing of people who have close contacts with Covid-19 patients is carried out using technology. To the point where if a patient has interacted with someone, massive testing is carried out so that it is on target and effective. We hope that those who are infected can be found quickly, isolated and treated more quickly, while waiting for the vaccine.

(This article was translated by Kurniawan H. Siswoko).