Asmat began to face COVID-19

Asmat began to face COVID-19

Timika (ANTARA) – After seven months of Asmat Regency, Papua Province was able to maintain the green zone status from the transmission of COVID-19, entering the middle of October Asmat began to face COVID-19 of the new type of corona virus.

The Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 in the Asmat Regency reported that currently 19 people have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, with 13 of them among health workers.

Of the 13 health workers who were exposed to COVID-19, 12 of them are on duty at the Agats Regional Hospital and one person is on duty at a puskesmas outside Agats City, the capital of Asmat Regency.

Patients who tested positive for COVID-19 were of average productive age, between 20-30 years, while all experienced mild symptoms.

One of the patients exposed to COVID-19 was found to be pregnant.

“Not all patient handling is carried out at the new hospital, there are patients who can do self-quarantine if conditions allow,” said the Director of Agats Hospital, Dr. Yenny Yokung Young, who was contacted from Timika, Sunday.

During the isolation period, patients were given adequate food and vitamin intake while waiting for the second swab examination schedule, which is 10 days after the first swab test.

Of the 19 COVID-19 patients in Asmat District, four are doing self-isolation in their respective homes, where their conditions are now gradually improving.

The patients had previously experienced symptoms of decreased ability to smell and numbness.

So far no patient has had comorbidities or comorbidities.

They are always closely monitored for the development of their health conditions by specialists.

“Our medical team is on guard for 24 hours at the new Agats Regional Hospital. Health workers who are positive must not travel outside before testing negative,” he said.

Seeing the development of the increasing number of COVID-19 transmission in Asmat, Yeeny said that currently there has been local transmission with one transmission cluster, namely at the Agats Regional Hospital.

“Well, we can call it a cluster,” he said.

The finding of the COVID-19 case in Asmat Regency began when a number of people reported experiencing clinical symptoms of COVID-19, such as a decrease in the ability to smell and taste.

Because of this, the Asmat Regency COVID-19 Handling Acceleration Task Force decided to collect swab specimens from residents with symptoms, to then be sent to Merauke Regional Hospital for PCR examination.

At the same time, eight health workers at Agats Regional Hospital were also reported to have similar signs and symptoms, so swab specimens were taken to be sent to Merauke Hospital.

“It turned out that the eight samples we sent tested positive for COVID-19,” said Yenny.

The next step taken by the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 in Asmat Regency, is to conduct close contact tracing of the patients, especially with their families and their closest people, including their colleagues at the hospital.

Close contacts were found totaling 54 people and all of them undergoing swab tests. As a result, the next 11 people also tested positive for COVID-19.

The person in charge of the Health Sector of the Asmat District COVID-19 Task Force Team, Dr. Steven Langi, also confirmed that there had been local transmission of the virus transmission in the local area, with the discovery of cases in several random places in Agats City.

“After we carried out the tracing, it turned out that in the community there were the same symptoms, namely people losing their ability to smell and taste. We conclude that this has occurred local transmission in Asmat. So far we have not found any connection between the cases that occurred in Asmat and the from outside, “he said.

As well as conducting contact tracing, the Asmat Regency COVID-19 Handling Acceleration Task Force also continues to expand the dissemination of information via Whatsapp and short message services to various local communities.

Through the dissemination of this information, residents who experience the same signs and symptoms are expected to be willing to check themselves with their own awareness at the nearest health facility.

Currently the Asmat COVID-19 Handling Acceleration Task Force is still waiting for the results of the third batch of swab specimen samples from a number of people who have been sent to Merauke Regional Hospital.

His party continues to work solidly while asking for support from various local parties in an effort to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19 in the region.

“Until now we have to send swab specimen samples to be examined outside because Asmat does not yet have a PCR test kit. Our team must continue to ‘tracing’ contacts, search and find cases to break the chain of transmission of these cases because the activity is still ongoing. taking place, both in the community’s economy and government activities, “he explained.

Responding to the high number of COVID-19 case findings in Asmat Regency recently, Acting Regent Asmat Triwarno Purnomo appealed to local residents to strictly comply with and implement health protocols.

The implementation of the health protocol includes maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, washing hands with soap and running water, and avoiding crowds.

Various things like that, must become a new lifestyle that must be followed by Asmat residents who have been thick with the communal lifestyle.

“It must become a new habit pattern for everyone today, not only for us in Asmat but throughout Indonesia and even around the world after the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all countries today,” said Triwarno, who was appointed by Papua Governor Lukas Enembe for only one month position as Acting Regent of Asmat.

If the community is orderly and disciplined to maintain and implement health protocols, then of course the finding of new cases or a spike in cases can be suppressed as optimally as possible.

All Asmat people must be aware that COVID-19 is a contagious disease. However, the disease, which was only discovered at the end of 2019, can be avoided by getting used to living clean and healthy, according to health protocols.

The district government of Asmat began tightening social restrictions and stepping up the health protocol campaign by the task force team.

The restrictions include community activities as well as religious activities, schools implement learning from home, limiting the working hours of state civil servants in the area, and reducing the number of employees with offices with special schedules.

In accordance with the mutual agreement of the communication forum for regional leaders and all local stakeholders, sanctions regarding law enforcement of the health protocol discipline will also be applied.

Sanctions given to violators of health protocols are tailored to local wisdom.

The goal is to provide education to the public so that everyone is aware of the importance of implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle, especially at this time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asmat began to face COVID-19