Facing the covid pandemic

The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Wednesday (11/3) officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. He also encouraged each country to take the necessary steps to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and stop its spread.

Referring to data collected on the Worldometers website, COVID-19 has spread to 124 countries from almost all continents, except Antarctica. Even though COVID-19 is capable of spreading rapidly, there are several preparations you can do to deal with this pandemic and protect yourself from the risk of transmission.

COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic

The WHO Director General announced the status of COVID-19 as a pandemic at a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on the same day. This announcement was made after WHO saw the high death rate from COVID-19 in Italy over the last few weeks.

This is the second time the WHO has declared an outbreak a pandemic since the outbreak of swine flu in 2009. The spread of swine flu at that time covered more than 206 countries and resulted in hundreds of thousands of people died.

COVID-19 cases have now reached more than 125,000 people and caused 4,634 deaths worldwide. Seeing the high number of cases and the spread, WHO also announced this outbreak as an emergency condition with the highest level of alertness.

The status was then updated after WHO conducted an assessment of COVID-19 based on certain criteria. The results of the assessment show that the characteristics of COVID-19 are sufficient to make it a pandemic.

Even so, Tedros said that every country could still face the COVID-19 pandemic and change its direction. There are several ways that can be done, namely preparing hospitals, training and protecting health workers, and taking care of each other's health.

WHO has also looked at the patterns of the spread of COVID-19 and found the potential to control it. According to Tedros, this is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus, but also the first pandemic that is very likely to be controlled.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,024,298

Confirmed

831,330

Recovered

28,855

DeathDistribution Map

How to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 spreads rapidly and has many implications. This is why everyone needs to take precautions to protect themselves and their closest ones, especially considering the status of COVID-19 which has now become a global pandemic.

Once a disease outbreak becomes a pandemic, the impact is not only felt on a physical health perspective. Other aspects such as psychological, social, and even economic conditions can also be affected.

In order to avoid unexpected impacts, here are some tips you can do during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Don't panic

Pandemics can cause anxiety and panic, especially if you don't know what to do. However, panic can actually prevent you from thinking clearly, or even doing wrong and risky actions.

As much as possible, try to manage your anxiety as you wait for the latest news about the outbreak. Focus on simple efforts you can take to prevent COVID-19 infection, such as washing your hands and staying healthy.

2. Look for information from reliable sources

At the start of a pandemic, confusing information will emerge. Your job is to filter the information that comes in so that you only get information from trusted and accountable sources.

If you have any questions about coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, look for them on government and health agencies' websites or social media. You can also ask medical personnel or read journal reports. Avoid information from groups chat the truth is not clear.

3. Prevent disease transmission

One of the most important efforts you need to do to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic is to prevent transmission. Here are the precautions you can take:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 40-60 seconds.
Use hand sanitizer made of alcohol when soap and water are not available.
Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth before washing your hands.
Go to the hospital if you have symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Stay home when you don't feel well.

4. Preparing for essential needs

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with a high risk of transmission may need to self-quarantine temporarily. During quarantine, you will need essential supplies consisting of:

Preserved food and water for two weeks.
Medicines, including pain relievers and medication for minor complaints.
First aid kit, masks for sick people, vitamins, supplements, and the like.
Cleaning products such as soap and shampoo, deodorant, sanitary napkins, and the like.
Cleaning tools, including trash bags, disinfectants, bleach, and the like.
Multivitamins and minerals. Increasing endurance not only by consuming vitamin C, but also requires a combination of several vitamins and minerals.

Other types of vitamins that you need for example vitamins A, E, and B complex. The function of vitamins is to keep immune cells working normally.

For a strong immune system, you also need minerals such as selenium, zinc and iron. Selenium maintains cell strength and prevents DNA damage. Then zinc triggers an immune response. In addition, iron helps absorption of vitamin C.

Prepare it based on the needs of you and your family. The quarantine period usually takes two weeks, so you don't need to overstock.

5. Self-quarantine

Apart from the four things above, this last point should also be a concern. If you have traveled to a country where the COVID-19 virus is indicated, you must quarantine or isolate yourself for 14 days at home.

COVID-19 is now declared a pandemic that requires special attention. However, people do not need to sink into panic because this outbreak is quite controlled and can be prevented with a few simple steps.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has reached your neighborhood, take steps to deal with the pandemic according to the instructions provided. Take care of your health and immediately consult a referral hospital if you or a family member experiences symptoms.