Anticipatory Measures of COVID-19 Disease

Coronavirus has attacked thousands of people in various countries and claimed hundreds of lives. In order not to get infected by this infectious disease, there are several ways you can do to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus.

Alert, Coronavirus Started Spreading

Starting in 2020, the world was shocked by the discovery of new diseases originating from Wuhan, China, and began to spread to neighbouring countries. The spread of the coronavirus is growing rapidly and makes the World Health Organization (WHO) appeal to Asian countries, including Indonesia, to always be vigilant.

This disease is caused by a new type of coronavirus called the COVID-2019 virus. According to the latest data obtained by WHO, this disease has caused casualties, while dozens of others infected are still under surveillance and intensive care.

Here are some facts related to this new disease:

1. The 2019-nCoV virus was identified on January 7, 2020, about a week after the first case appeared in the city of Wuhan, China.
2. The 2019-nCoV virus belongs to the same virus group as the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle-East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
3. Some Thais and Japanese are reported to have been infected with the 2019-nCoV virus.
4. The exact origin and method of transmission of the 2019-nCoV virus are unknown. However, this virus is thought to originate from animals and can be transmitted between humans.
5. No method or drug has been found as a specific management program to deal with this condition.

Recognize the Symptoms

Coronavirus attacks the human respiratory tract. Therefore, people who are infected with Coronavirus can experience symptoms that are similar to the flu. Even so, the initial symptoms of this mysterious disease are similar to SARS and MERS, which are fever and coughing. Some sufferers also reported experiencing shortness of breath, accompanied by the formation of fluids and infiltrate in the lungs.

In some cases, patients even experience liver failure and kidney failure. Even so, to date, no specific symptoms have been found that can be used as a reference to identify this disease.

SARS and MERS are both conditions characterized by serious infections of the respiratory tract. Both of these diseases have spread throughout the world and cause tremendous fear.

In 2002-2003, there were at least 774 people who died from SARS. While WHO records in 2019, stated that more than 800 people died due to suffering from MERS.

Although caused by viruses of the same class, the 2019-nCoV virus infection is not expected to spread and cause death as quickly as SARS and MERS.

If you experience symptoms, have risk factors, or have recently travelled to a country infected with the Coronavirus, such as China, South Korea, or Italy.

Nevertheless, everyone is still encouraged to make prevention efforts and immediately consult a doctor. However, this mysterious condition can be fatal if not treated quickly and appropriately.

Prevent Corona Virus from Spreading Now

WHO recommends that each country implement a ban on tourism or trade in China. This action is done to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from growing worse.

Although there have been no reports of transmission of the 2019-nCoV virus in Indonesia, it is important for everyone to take various preventative steps to avoid infection with this virus.

The steps in question include:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap before and after the move.
• Eat a portion of balanced nutritious food and make sure the food you consume is cooked until it is fully cooked.
• Strengthen the immune system by drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest.
• Use a mask when on the move, especially when outside the room or public facilities.
• Avoid insect bites by applying anti-buffer lotion or using closed clothing.
• Perform healthy sex, such as using a condom when having sex and being loyal to one partner.
• Limit direct contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid travelling to places that have the potential to become a virus spread location.
• Perform routine health checks to the doctor. 

Until now, research is still being done to find out the source, spread, and how to treat the COVID-2019 virus infection. In the interim, some of the steps above can be applied to protect yourself from the risk of being infected with this coronavirus.

Effective ways to avoid contracting the Coronavirus - doctor's advice

This virus is thought to originate from animals, such as bats and camels, and can be transmitted from animals to humans, as well as from humans to humans. Human transmission is most likely through sputum sparks when coughing or sneezing.

When infected with the Coronavirus, a person will experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, and runny nose. However, a few days afterwards, people who develop coronavirus infection can experience shortness of breath due to infection in the lungs (pneumonia).

Until now, there has been no treatment that can cure Coronavirus infection. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) appealed to the public not to look down on this disease and always take preventative measures. One way is to implement social distancing.

Some steps that can be taken to prevent Coronavirus infection, including:

1. Wash your hands properly

Washing your hands properly is the simplest but effective way to prevent the spread of the 2019-nCoV virus. Wash your hands with running water and soap, for at least 20 seconds. Make sure all parts of the hand are washed thoroughly, including the back of the hand, wrist, between the fingers, and nails. After that, dry your hands using a tissue, clean towel, or a hand dryer.

If you are a commuter worker on public transportation, it will be difficult to find water and soap. You can clean your hands with a hand sanitizer. Use hand sanitizer products with an alcohol content of at least 60% to be more effective at disinfecting germs.

Wash your hands regularly, especially before and after eating, after using the toilet, after touching animals, taking out the trash, and after coughing or sneezing. Washing hands is also important before breastfeeding a baby or expressing milk.

2. Use a mask

There are two types of masks that you can use to prevent Coronavirus transmission, namely surgical masks and N95 masks.

Surgical masks or surgical masks are disposable masks that are commonly used. This mask is easy to find, the price is affordable, and comfortable to wear, so many people who use this mask when doing daily activities.

The correct way to use a surgical mask is that the coloured side of the mask should face outward, while the white inner side faces the face and covers the chin, nose and mouth. The white side is made of a material that can absorb dirt and filter germs from the air.

Although not entirely effective in preventing exposure to germs, the use of these masks can still reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including Coronavirus infections. The use of masks is recommended for people who are sick to prevent the spread of viruses and germs, rather than in healthy people.

While the N95 mask is a type of mask designed specifically to filter out harmful particles in the air. This type of mask is actually more recommended to prevent Coronavirus infection. However, this mask is not comfortable to wear every day and the price is relatively expensive.

When removing the mask from the face, both the surgical mask and the N95 mask, avoid touching the front of the mask, because that part is full of germs attached. After removing the mask, wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer, so that the hands are clean from germs that stick.

3. Maintain endurance

A strong immune system can prevent various diseases. To maintain and increase endurance, you are advised to eat healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and protein foods, such as eggs, fish, and lean meat. If necessary, you also increase the consumption of supplements as directed by your doctor.

In addition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, not smoking, and not consuming alcoholic beverages can also increase endurance to avoid transmission of the Coronavirus.

4. Do not go to an infected country

Not only China, but Coronavirus infection has now also spread to several other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, the United States, and Europe. The Coronavirus has also been confirmed to be found in neighbouring Indonesia, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

To avoid contracting this virus, you are advised not to travel to places that already have a Coronavirus infection case or have the potential to become a location for the spread of coronavirus, both outside and within the country.

You are also advised to do physical distancing by keeping a minimum distance of 1 meter when interacting with others and avoid travelling to crowded places.

5. Avoid contact with animals that have the potential to transmit coronavirus

The new type of coronavirus is thought to originate from bats and is spread by several mammals and reptiles. Therefore, avoid contact with these animals

If you want to eat meat or fish, make sure the meat or fish has been washed and cooked until completely cooked. Avoid eating meat or fish that are not fresh or rotten.

If you experience flu symptoms, such as coughing, fever, and colds, which are accompanied by weakness and shortness of breath, especially if in the last 2 weeks you have travelled to China or other countries that already have Coronavirus infection cases, immediately ask your doctor to be able to ascertain the cause and given the right treatment.

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6 Steps to Anticipate Coronavirus Transmission When Traveling by Train

Temporary Isolation Room

Hand sanitizers are also provided at the boarding table area and other strategic locations, to keep train passengers in a clean state. For further treatment related to Coronavirus prevention efforts, TRAIN alerted the medical team assigned to the station health post.

In addition, KAI alerted the coronavirus prevention unit and a temporary isolation room. The officer is ready to assist the process of referral to a number of hospitals if needed.

Other steps as prevention efforts that must be done together, TRAIN also educates at train stations and facilities, through various means and information media related to the danger of the coronavirus and how to prevent it, such as by short video shows, installing banners and standing banners.

Train service users are advised to wear masks when conditions are not healthy such as coughs and colds or sneezing. In addition, it is expected that train service users will also participate in maintaining cleanliness in the station area, such as not littering tissue and throwing saliva (spitting) carelessly.

Some things that should be considered by passengers as an anticipatory step to transmit the coronavirus include:

1. Washing hands

Washing hands with soap regularly and thoroughly will clean the hands of various impurities and germs. This is more important and more effective than washing hands with germicidal liquid or hand sanitizer.

2. MAINTAIN A DISTANCE

Keep your distance from the people around you, it is recommended to keep a distance of about one meter to anyone, especially those who cough or sneeze. Because, when someone coughs or sneezes, they spray drops from the nose or mouth that may contain viruses.

It is also advisable to avoid physical contact with others such as shaking hands, hugging, and others. To anticipate the transmission of another corona, TRAIN has added TRAIN travel schedules to reduce passenger density. This makes TRAIN passengers have the option to consider the next schedule if the TRAIN already looks congested.

3. Avoid Touching the Face Area

Avoid touching the face area, especially the eyes, nose and mouth. Hands often touch many surfaces of objects that could be occupied by viruses in public places. After being contaminated, the hands can transfer the virus to the eyes, nose, or mouth.

From there, the virus can enter the body and can make you sick. Clean your hands before eating and when touching your face. For maximum safety, train passengers are also advised to bring their own hand sanitizers to more freely clean their hands wherever and whenever they travel.

4. Follow the Cough and Sneeze Rules

Anyone who coughs or sneezes is strongly recommended to cover the mouth and nose with inner elbows to prevent transmission of the virus. Covering the mouth and nose with a clean tissue when coughing or sneezing is also recommended. However, immediately throw the tissue into the trash. Drops coming out through the nose or mouth when someone sneezes or coughs can spread the virus. Therefore, the above rules need to be obeyed by everyone to minimize the transmission of disease, including COVID-19.

5. Find a Medical Officer, If ...

If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, immediately seek medical personnel at the station. Follow the directions of health workers who check yourself.

6. Change clothes immediately

After arriving at home or destination, take a shower and change clothes. All these precautions are carried out as a form of maximum service to users of train services. For now and in the future TRAIN continues to operate as usual with more enhanced supervision. So for those of you who currently have fit and prime body condition, you don't need to worry about travelling by train.

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Chloroquine (COVID-19)

Some time ago the head of state in the Asian continent announced that they had ordered 3 million units of chloroquine phosphate or chloroquine as a medical treatment for corona patients. The news made many residents buy up chloroquine.

Chloroquine Phosphate Is a malaria drug that has the potential to treat COVID-19 infection

Chloroquine is a drug that has long been used to treat or prevent malaria. In addition, this drug is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

At least two studies have looked at other therapeutic effects of chloroquine. Initial research conducted 17 years ago found that chloroquine has antiviral activity in several viruses such as flaviviruses, retroviruses, and coronaviruses.

The 2017 study further reinforces this statement in which chloroquine has proven to be effective in preventing HIV replication and also other viral diseases such as SARS coronavirus. For this reason, chloroquine began to be tested in COVID-19 patients, the newest type of coronavirus.

Chloroquine is believed to inhibit the growth of the virus after it is observed to affect the process of endocytosis, which in this context means the process of entry of the virus into the body.

The virus will initially enter the acidic cells, then chloroquine works by increasing the endosomal pH which can interfere with the virus's ability to enter the host cell and begin to replicate. This means that the acidity of the pH in cells will be lowered so that it interferes with the process of virus entry.

This drug also interacts with receptors called cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which can prevent the virus from binding to the body's receptors.

In a conference report held on February 15, 2020, the Chinese government together with researchers announced that they had tested chloroquine phosphate on 100 patients in 10 hospitals in Wuhan, China.

The results showed that chloroquine phosphate was effective in inhibiting complications of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients. In addition, the patient's lung x-ray results improve for the better, inhibit the spread of the virus and restore the patient more quickly.

Chloroquine phosphate controversy COVID-19 drug

The world health organization, WHO, March 20 2020, announced a trial program called "Solidarity" related to drugs that can overcome COVID-19. Chloroquine is on the list that was tested on the program. Initially, the committee was hesitant to include this drug in the trial program because the data was considered not enough.

They assume that the mechanism in COVID-19 could be different from other coronaviruses. The reason, chloroquine has been widely tested in animals but has never been successful in humans. The dose needed to provide therapeutic efficacy in humans is too high to be feared that the side effects caused are even more severe than the efficacy.

But research conducted in Wuhan earlier made WHO scientists then consider it and finally put chloroquine on the list of drugs to be tested.

To date, there have been 20 research journals that have examined the effects of chloroquine on COVID-19. But no one has made WHO, as the centre of world health information, confident of establishing this drug as the main treatment for the coronavirus.

From all reports of studies on drugs that have the potential to treat COVID-19, WHO has concluded that small-scale studies observed by non-random methods will not provide such effective results, including several studies of chloroquine. Using drugs that are not tested without thorough evidence will only give false hope to the public.

Therefore, although chloroquine has been used in the treatment of COVID-19, chloroquine has been announced as a second-line treatment and not the main treatment, because in fact the drug COVID-19 has not been found.