It Is Possible That COVID-19 Patients Could Be Discharged After Five Days

RSPI Sulianti Saroso isolation room (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said that two Indonesian citizens (WNI) who have now tested positive for the corona virus or COVID-19 are in good condition. They will be in intensive care for the next five days, before they are allowed to go home.

Terawan said, in the next five days, the Sulianti Saroso Infection Center Hospital (RSPI) will conduct a swap, namely taking body fluid samples from the 64 and 31 year old patient and child.

"We will see the condition of his body. If you want to be sent home, you can. Usually after five days we will re-swipe. If this is healthy and negative, then we will return home," said Terawan at RSPI Sulianti Saroso, North Jakarta, Monday, March 2.

Terawan claims that currently the two corona positive patients are in quite good condition, although they are still coughing. "He is in an isolation room, in a separate building by himself, in the RSPI isolation room, the national referral hospital for infectious diseases," he said.

The treatment carried out on the two patients, said Terawan, was like treating someone with the flu. The cure is in the form of self-limited disease, which is an increase in body immunity.

"They are given vitamins, given healthy food. This disease is not caused by bacteria but because of a virus. If immunity has been increased, it will definitely heal itself," said Terawan.

The next step, the government will carry out surveillance tracking or carry out further investigations. This is done by searching for people who have had close contact with patients, exploring the environment around the residence, and the hospitals that have been visited.

"We check to be careful. It does not mean that everything has to be swapped. You have to remember, not everyone who contacts becomes sick or is corona positive," he concluded.

For information, two residents contracted the COVID-19 virus after coming into contact with a Japanese national. This finding is the first case in Indonesian territory, where the government has so far admitted that there has been no spread of the virus.

The announcement of the existence of residents infected with the corona virus was delivered directly by President Joko Widodo. This is the first patient who is positive for this virus from China.

"Last week there was information that a Japanese person who went to Indonesia then stayed in Malaysia and checked there was positive for the corona. The team from Indonesia immediately traced this Japanese person to Indonesia to whom he visited, met whom he traced and met," he said. Jokowi at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday, March 2.

After it was found, from the search results there were two people who then tested positive for the COVID-19 virus due to contact with the Japanese citizen. The relationship between the two is mother and child aged 64 years and 31 years.

"It was checked and this morning I received a report from the Minister of Health that this mother and her daughter were positive for corona," said Jokowi.