Minister Of Health Budi Sadikin Calls Pandemic And Endemic The Same Just Different Names

Minister of Health Budi Sadikin/Photo: Antara

YOGYAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the COVID-19 pandemic and the endemic were only in different names, while the virus was still there. "For me personally, I am a person with new health. Endemic and pandemic are just different names. But the disease is still there, the virus is still there. ," said Budi Gunadi after the seminar "Recover Together, Recover Stronger: G20 and Indonesia's Strategic Agenda" at the Senate Hall of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, Thursday, March 17. occurs even though the degree of severity is lower than during the pandemic. According to him, the endemic phase will be reached if the community understands the risks of the disease and has implemented health protocols consciously without being forced by the government. spray it, don't flick it too much, if the heat goes up and down, you already know he'll check his blood. He immediately went to the hospital without any forced intervention or encouragement from the government," Gunadi was quoted as saying by Antara. He said President Joko Widodo had asked to prepare a scenario to turn the COVID-19 pandemic into an endemic one. Endemic just requires preparation. Referring to the history of pandemics in the world, according to him, it always requires many factors to consider to turn it into an endemic. "It's never just a health factor. There are social, political, economic, cultural factors that are considered by both a country leader and the world to turn it into a pandemic as an endemic," he said.

Meanwhile, he said that according to the input of epidemiologists, the transmission rate or reproduction rate (Rt) must be reduced to below 1 in a span of three to six months, and the coverage of two-dose vaccination should be at least 70 percent of the population. The health side has entered a relatively safe condition if for example it is later declared as endemic," he said. Others such as England, Denmark have reduced their health protocols but they have not officially declared this as endemic," Gunadi said.