The government continues to work to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak or COVID-19, where there are currently 134 positive patients, five people have died, and eight people have been cured.

The government also publishes the protocol if someone feels symptoms that resemble the symptoms of COVID-19. The protocol involves all ministries and government agencies. The following is the complete protocol that we quoted from the official statement of the Ministry of Health referring to the explanation by the Head of Communication and Community Service Bureau, drg. Widyawati, MKM, on Tuesday (03/17/2020):

1. If you feel unwell with criteria:

a. Fever more than 38°C; and

b. Cough / runny nose / sore throat,
get enough rest at home and drink enough water. If you still feel uncomfortable, complaints continue, or are accompanied by difficulty breathing (shortness of breath or rapid breathing), immediately consult to a health care facility (fasyankes).

When visiting a health facility, you must take the following actions:

a. Use a mask.

b. If you don't have a mask, follow the correct ethics of coughing / sneezing by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper arm.

c. Try not to use mass transportation.

2. Health workers at the health facility will screen patients under supervision of COVID-19:

a. If you meet the criteria of the patient under COVID-19 supervision, you will be referred to one of the referral hospitals.

b. If you do not meet the patient's criteria for COVID-19 supervision, you will be hospitalized or outpatient depending on your doctor's diagnosis and decision.

3. If you will be delivered to the referral hospital using the ambulance fasyankes accompanied by health workers who use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

4. At the referral hospital, for those of you who meet the criteria of the patient under COVID-19 supervision, a specimen will be taken for laboratory examination and treated in an isolation room.

5. Specimens will be sent to the Jakarta Health Research and Development Agency (Balitbangkes). The first examination result will come out within 1 x 24 hours after the specimen is received.

a. If the result is positive:

i. then you will be declared as a COVID-19 confirmation case.

ii. Samples will be taken every day.

iii. You will be removed from the isolation room if the examination of the sample 2 (two) times in a row is negative. If the results are negative, you will be treated according to the cause of the disease.

b. If you are healthy, however:

i. There is a history of travel 14 days ago to a country with a local transmission COVID-19, do self-monitoring through body temperature checks 2 times. If there is a fever of more than 38 ° C or respiratory symptoms such as cough / runny nose / throat pain / shortness of breath immediately check yourself into fasyankes.

ii. Feeling that you have been in contact with a COVID-19 confirmation case, immediately report to a health worker and check with your health care provider. Henceforth, they will check your specimen.

This Health Protocol is based on the Minister of Health Circular number HK.02.01 / MENKES / 199/2020 concerning Communication for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Management.

In this circular there are also Public Communication Protocols, Protocols in the Area and Public Transportation, Protocols in the Area of ​​Educational Institutions, Protocols at the Entrance of Indonesian Territory (Airports, Ports, Regional / State Border Posts), and Protocols within the Special Scope of Government.

This Circular is intended to increase support and cooperation across sectors and the Regional Government in dealing with the threat of COVID-19 outbreak, so that people are calm and get an understanding of things that must be done for their immediate environment.

The protocol will be implemented throughout Indonesia by the government guided centrally by the Ministry of Health.

Top photo credit: Image by pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301