As of January 30, 2022, data from 89 hospitals in Jakarta showed that 44 percent of the patients undergoing treatment in hospitals are asymptomatic and have mild symptomsJakarta (ANTARA) - Main expert staff of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Abraham Wirotomo, has urged the community to prioritize hospital treatment services for COVID-19 patients direly in need of treatment.
Wirotomo conveyed the statement in response to data that indicated 44 percent of the COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals in Jakarta are asymptomatic and those with mild symptoms.
"As of January 30, 2022, data from 89 hospitals in Jakarta showed that 44 percent of the patients undergoing treatment in hospitals are asymptomatic and have mild symptoms," Wirotomo noted in a press release received here on Tuesday.
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Wirotomo remarked that in accordance with President Joko Widodo's instruction, hospitals are prioritized for patients with moderate to severe symptoms, patients with comorbidities, and elderly sufferers.
Meanwhile, asymptomatic people and those with mild symptoms are encouraged to isolate at home or isolation centers.
"If we want to get through this pandemic well, prioritize hospitals for those who truly need treatment," he stressed.
He explained that based on the WHO report, the characteristics of the Omicron variant differ from those of the Delta variant, and that the Omicron variant was also less severe.
To this end, he affirmed that the government was applying a different approach in handling the variant.
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"At the downstream level, massive socialization and education regarding self-quarantine will be conducted, so that people can have an understanding of Omicron and will not panic too much," he explained.
In addition, the government will conduct strict surveillance in regions that record a high number of Omicron cases in a bid to suppress and prevent local transmission.
"The spike in (COVID-19) cases is a cause for serious concern for the government, and it needs strict control to prevent local transmission from increasing," he remarked.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of January 31, 2022, at least 4,353,370 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,140,454 people have recovered and 144,320 people have succumbed to the virus.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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