People Who Are Exposed To COVID-19 With Mild Symptoms Are Asked Not To Rush To The Hospital

JAKARTA - People who have tested positive for COVID-19 are asked not to rush and panic to go to the hospital for treatment. Those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms are asked to self-isolate at home amid the increasing hospital occupancy rates.

This was conveyed by the Director of Medical, Nursing, and Supporting Services at Fatmawati Hospital Loli Simanjuntak.

"There is COVID without symptoms and with symptoms. If the PCR is positive or the antigen swab is positive but there are no symptoms, no need to be treated at the hospital, so it's enough to just stay at home. Then secondly, there are symptoms of COVID but the symptoms are mild", Loli said at the conference press broadcast on the Indonesian Ministry of Health's YouTube, Thursday, June 24.

Meanwhile, for people who are tested positive for COVID-19 but have comorbid diseases with decreased oxygen saturation, they are required to undergo treatment in a hospital. Likewise, for those who have severe symptoms.

"It means heavy breathing, breathing above 24, saturation below 95, pneumonia accompanied by comorbidities. In terms of age, it is also under 60 years old or above 60 years old", she said.

"There are indeed criteria for patients to be treated. But if the symptoms are mild, we don't treat them and we hope to go to Wisma Atlet (Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital Kemayoran, Jakarta) or those without symptoms can self-isolate", added Loli.

Adding to Loli's statement, Pondok Indah Hospital (RSPI) President Director Sulianti Saroso Mohammad Syahril reminded the public that there was no need to panic if they tested positive for COVID-19. He explained that there are a number of criteria for people with COVID-19, namely people without symptoms (OTG), people with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms.

With OTG, said Syahril, patients usually do not feel any symptoms at all, but the test results are positive for COVID-19. Even so, they are required to carry out self-isolation because they can transmit the virus to others without being noticed and this is dangerous.

"Both of them are mild symptoms. If they are mild, they have started coughing, fever, sore throat on a scale that is not severe. This just has to self-isolate too", explained Syahril

While for the severe criteria, usually have experienced respiratory problems such as shortness of breath. If this happens then the patient must be referred to the hospital.

"But again, what is currently being done is at the nearest hospital, it doesn't have to be a referral hospital", he said.

However, if COVID-19 sufferers are in a severe and critical condition, they can be referred to a special hospital for handling COVID-19. However, this referral must be done through the existing system.

"One more thing, this comorbid problem is important. Although the symptoms are moderate if he is with comorbid, it could be diabetes, heart, kidney or other chronic diseases, then this needs special attention", concluded Syahrial.