Two Years of Pandemic

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

A male rider passes a mural with an invitation to build solidarity in the fight against Covid-19 on the wall of a building in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Banten, Sunday (05/10/2020).

This March marks two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, but there is hope that conditions will soon improve. We are prepared to accept the new normal.

The pandemic has certainly ravaged human life. As of Wednesday (2/3/2022), the virus had spread to 179 countries, infected 428,999,522 people and caused 5,790,992 deaths. Indonesia’s condition is not so different. A total of 5,630,096 people were infected and 149,036 people died.

On the other hand, the pandemic has also driven the fastest development of a vaccine in history. The process of vaccine development, which can take up to 10 years, was cut to less than a year. Currently, some 55.52 percent of the world population has been vaccinated.

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In Indonesia, 144,505,806 people have been vaccinated with both jabs. This is 69 percent of the targeted 208,265,720 people that need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

Moreover, we should be grateful for the human ability to adapt to the pandemic. Management of Covid-19 cases is growing rapidly and health experts around the world continue to share their knowledge. Likewise, with distance learning, working from home and various virtual spiritual and economic meetings, humans have made great strides in the use of technology.

REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

A woman holds a small bottle labbeled with a “Vaccine COVID-19” sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020.

Indeed, we cannot deny that Covid-19 transmissions will continue. After Indonesia struggled through three waves of transmission – the initial virus, the Delta variant and then Omicron – Covid-19 cases are now starting to fall. The highest number of cases was reported on 16 Feb., 2022, with 64,718 confirmed cases, which then gradually decreased. The latest figures (Thursday, 3/3/2022) showed 37,259 confirmed cases.

Fortunately, the mortality rate during the Omicron wave has been much lower than during the Delta wave. Although cases of severe symptoms and deaths have been reported, they have usually occurred in the unvaccinated and those with comorbidities.

If a virus is more lethal, it will also be destroyed more quickly with the death of its hosts, namely humans.

This confirms the findings of experts, who said that Omicron was not as virulent as Delta, despite being more infectious. The decrease in the level of malignancy, according to Bandung Technological Institute (ITB) biochemist Zeily Nurachman, is part of a virus’ nature to survive. If a virus is more lethal, it will also be destroyed more quickly with the death of its hosts, namely humans.

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The reduced level of malignancy can be one of the considerations for Covid-19 to start being treated as endemic, in addition to vaccine coverage, handling and treatment as well as the level of community readiness.

Community readiness is an important factor so that when the government officially changes the status of the pandemic to an endemic, it does not trigger careless behavior.

SALVATORE DI NOLFI/KEYSTONE FILE VIA AP

In this file photo dated Monday, March 9, 2020, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, centre, speaks during a news conference on updates regarding on the coronavirus COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Accompanying Tedros are Michael Ryan, left, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies program, and Maria van Kerkhove, right, technical lead of WHO’s Health Emergencies program. The way WHO handled the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic is under scrutiny, facing calls for the U.N. health agency to be overhauled and WHO has bowed to demands for an independent review.

Information needs to be shared so that everyone is aware of the importance of getting vaccinated, complying with health protocols and remembering to maintain their resilience. Let us prepare, it is time to accept the new normal.

(This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia).