reopening school in Indonesia for children amid Covid

There just aren’t enough healthcare workers to do the life-saving work of a typical long holiday – a disaster in Indonesia between July-August after Ied holiday (mid May-June). Friendly but concerned ER doc and or MD.

The new variant poses a far graver threat at the collective level than the individual one—the kind of test that the entire world has repeatedly failed. But amaze (& blessed), not including Indonesia. Yet. (*check the table). Since Dec 28th 2021 - January 2nd 2022, only 34 deaths / fatalities accumulation, and only less than 1,500 new cases covid accumulation. Really blessed because a lot of countries now facing 300-400% surge number new cases of covid. 

Thinking today of all the incredible medical personnel who are spending their holiday, once again, getting us through this latest wave of the pandemic. In January 2nd 2022, Indonesia administered 4,039,665 vaccine 1st doses (mostly, I think 93% is children), very huge work amid holiday. And the biggest ever vaccine administered in Indonesia since pandemic began. Not amaze why 4 million numbers were reached (especially the number of children who get a vaccine). 

Today (Monday, Jan 3rd),  while making some adjustments, SD (elementary school) students and staff welcomed back, as a careful measurement of “learn in class” by the Education Ministry. I see a lot of people - on both "sides" - making simple mistakes about masks, and this stuff (masks) is still creepy for some (especially) children in the classroom (I think). I've check PPE, taught PPE, and overseen PPE programs, including teams implementing fit testing. For simple, masks work to reduce a covid risk and or omicron variant. 

Cloth masks work, just not as well as high filtration masks. a 50% effective mask reduces inhaled dose by 50%. When two people where this level mask, the combined efficacy is 75%. It's wrong to say these "don't work"; correct to say they are "less effective" than N95. In places with good ventilation and filtration, these 'escaped' aerosols out the side of the surgical mask dilute further before reaching someone— trying to imagine a lot of children playing and scrimmage at the classroom after “long time zoom-tireless”. Set control strategy (example: masking) based on risk. Two key risk factors are vaccine status and age. We continue to ignore this when setting control strategy, and instead opted for 'one size fits all'.

The change in risk to those who are vaccinated (and still recommended masks for unvaccinated, include unvaxx children). On masks (and all controls), I think there is a danger of being on 'red alert' all the time. Pandemic is not like a hurricane where an event happens and you march steadily toward recovery. Rather, it ebbs and flows. Controls should, too. One-way masking is fine. If you're vaccinated, and boosted (*in Indonesia still MD or some public health workers; and starting Jan.12 2022 will be 18+ years old to get a booster), and wearing a mask, that's as low risk as anything in your life, *regardless of what anyone around you and what anyone around your children (if you have a children) is doing*.

Yes, some children maybe yet or unluck to get a vaccine earlier. Advice for parents with older kids who test + (and there will be many cases of this)- please dont isolate your children from a parent-they lack the cognitive ability to handle this & likely feel guilt/sadness over the chaos. Wear a mask and stay with them. They need you.

I'm a total advocate of vaccination and have also (loud) spoken on several social media about it (vaccinated). I really liked the fact someone antivaxx turn/reconsidered his/her decision. So long as the media continues to write stories false-claiming on vaccine efficacy, deliberately couched to avoid any responsibility by antivaxx fearmonger and instead attribute yet another negligence death to an "accident" will continue to die.

Vaccines and the importance of addressing infectious diseases that impact the poor around the world. So cool to see this mission lived out in such an amazing way, providing a cheap vaccine that will vaccinate the world.

I’m genuinely worried about public discourse among others during a global outbreak of Omicron crisis. If patient-facing medical professionals don’t cut thru the political, emotional, divisive, & utterly harmful rhetoric—i.e. if we aren’t part of the solution—then who will? I've been arguing for a while that serial negative antigen or PCR tests provide a lot of confidence that someone is not contagious. but PCR still expensive for “common” Indonesia salary - I admit. Check your BPJS and or Puskesmas (center/clinic health) near you if (luck) will be free PCR.

If you check surge reach 300-400% cases covid daily in a lot countries, although many of us will inevitably get COVID-19, for the majority of vaccinated people, it won’t be so bad. The vaccines weren’t designed to wholly prevent COVID-19; they transformed it into a manageable illness like the flu. And maybe Indonesia will facing this situation, earlier or 2 months from now.

In speaking with social media tools to encourage vaccine — one theme is a common misperception that the vaccines don’t work because of news headlines always leading with daily case rates (in Europe and America) We can and should try to diversify the message, that’s all. Since our public dialogue is unfortunately an echo chamber (especially during July-August 2021, with so called “AHLI”, expert from abroad), it’s vital to *diversify* our lead messages to emphasize positives messages on vaccine effectiveness.

Whether we like it or not, the truth gets easily distorted for the legions that remains at highest risk otherwise. The message also needs to focus on the fact that covid is airborne & people need to wear high quality masks. This message is lost in this constant focus on vaccines but protecting ourselves & others requires a layered approach right now. Vaccines are important but so are mask on.

You don’t have to be a berserk antivaxx to see that omicron’s effect is milder than previous strains, and yet we still have people making a desperate attempt to go viral by torturing the data with log scales.

We are living in a trust desert. People are hurting—like me, like ojol, whether it’s from COVID-19, social isolation, job loss, grief. It’s up to the medical profession to rise up, use our critical thinking skills. People are looking for trusted guides to combat antivaxx spread, and, highlight again: vaccines are important but so are mask on.