Because Masks Are Not Enough To Protect Ojol Operations From The Spread Of COVID-19

Illustrated photo (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - In Depok, West Java, two people have been confirmed to have COVID-19. That same afternoon at Halim Perdana Kusuma Hospital, East Jakarta, I was waiting for a Grab driver to deliver food. My mind immediately wandered over to many bad things, especially when the food came and saw the driver who was completely unprotected. How's my food?

Deputy Director of Public Affairs Grab Indonesia Tirza Reinata Munusamy explained that his party is monitoring and increasing readiness to protect drivers and customers from COVID-19 transmission. The way that Grab does is to increase education for drivers and customers. Grab is aware that its service has the potential to be one of the most widespread mediums for distribution.

"Grab believes, by providing education for partners and loyal customers together, many parties can take responsibility for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia," wrote the official statement of Grab Indonesia, Monday, March 2.

Photo illustration (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

In addition to education, Grab is also preparing a number of procedures if a driver is suspected of having COVID-19. For specific preventive measures, Grab will distribute masks to driver partners evenly at the Grab Bike Lounge Daan Mogot, Kebayoran Lama, and TB Simatupang with a total of 1,700 in each lounge.

Alim, the ojol driver who delivered food for me confirmed the education that was meant by Tirza Reinata. He also agreed with the news of providing masks at several Grab Lounges. However, Alim himself has not taken advantage of that policy. "It has been a long time (education). There is a word for masks. I also just found out that (the distribution of masks) is corona," said Alim.

Not enough

Unfortunately, that was not enough. Alim is definitely not the only careless driver. This means that more massive socialization and education needs to be done. Even so, Alim knows, using masks without gloves will also be a risk for them. What Alim said made sense. Masks are not the key to preventing the spread of viruses.

Reflecting on the COVID-19 case in Depok, the authorities explained that a 61-year-old mother and 31-year-old child contracted COVID-19 from a Japanese national. The first infection occurred in the child who danced with the Japanese citizen on February 14th. After that, he developed a prolonged cough and finally tested positive for COVID-19 on February 28.

"Then, on the 26th, he just asked to be treated, how come the cough didn't go away, had a shortness of breath, and had a little fever. Then he was treated," said Terawan at the Sulianti Saroso Infection Center Hospital, Monday, March 2.

COVID-19 is a disease that is transmitted through bodily fluids, not through the air. Infection prevention specialist and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa School of Medicine, United States (US), Eli Perencevich, even said that someone really does not need a mask to protect themselves from infection. Increasing the frequency of washing your hands is key.

Photo illustration (Irfan Meidianto / VOI

Even if anyone has to wear a mask, Perencevich said, it is those who suffer from disease. This means that if you feel symptoms of COVID-19 such as flu or fever, that's when you should start wearing a mask to protect those around you. The use of masks in healthy people, according to Perencevich, actually increases the risk of transmission.

"There is no evidence that wearing masks on healthy people will protect them. They wear them incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection because they touch their faces more often ... The only time you need to wear a mask is if you are sick and you have to. leave the house, "said Perencevich, quoted by Forbes.

We tried to contact Grab and GoJek regarding more detailed preventive steps, especially regarding the provision of gloves for drivers. Unfortunately, until this news was written, neither Grab nor GoJek had responded to our questions.