Herd Immunity, an Anticipated Way to Suppress the Spread of COVID-19

In the midst of the outbreak of Corona virus infection (COVID-19), the term "herd immunity" appears, which is said to help suppress the spread of this virus. What is meant by herd immunity and how effective are these methods to prevent transmission?

Not only in Indonesia, Corona virus infection also occurs in almost all countries. Every country has taken various measures to reduce the rapid transmission of the Corona virus, from lockdowns to mass rapid tests.

Herd Immunity, an Anticipated Way to Suppress the Spread of COVID-19

In the midst of information about COVID-19, the term "herd immunity" had emerged which was rumored to be able to end this pandemic. This term is actually not a new term in the medical field, but it is rarely known by ordinary people.

Get to know Herd Immunity

Herd immunity is a condition when most people in a group already have immunity against certain infectious diseases. The more people who are immune to a disease, the more difficult it is to spread because not many people can be infected.

The method that can be taken to get immunity in many people at once is vaccination. Take the example of polio vaccination. When a person gets the polio vaccine, his body forms specific immunity against the polio virus.

Once, when a polio virus enters that person's body, the body's immune system is ready to fight the polio virus, so the virus dies and does not cause polio. That way, the virus also cannot spread to others.

Imagine if at the same time, almost everyone in the same group as that person also had immunity against the polio virus. Of course the chance for the poliovirus to cause disease and transmission is very small.

Automatically, this condition can also provide protection to people who have not received the polio vaccine in the group, such as newborns and pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems, such as AIDS sufferers and people who are undergoing chemotherapy.

Apart from vaccines, immunity can also be obtained naturally by people who have recovered from certain infectious diseases. After recovering from an infectious disease, the body will have antibodies to fight the germs that cause the infection if one day these germs attack again.

So, the more people who are infected and recover, the more people who are invulnerable and herd immunity will be formed. However, the formation of herd immunity naturally requires quite a long time and the risk is also not small.

Can Herd Immunity Suppress the Spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia?

Until now, there is no vaccine for the Corona virus. Researchers are still trying to develop the vaccine. So, the formation of herd immunity through vaccination cannot be done.

While the formation of herd immunity naturally by letting many people infected with the Corona virus in Indonesia is also not a wise way. For a country with more than 300 million people like Indonesia, it takes a very long time to reach herd immunity.

That's not all. Because COVID-19 can be fatal, the death toll from this infection will be very high even before herd immunity is reached. Not to mention, not a few people in Indonesia are vulnerable to Corona virus infections, for example the elderly or people with comorbidities, such as lung disease or diabetes.

These are the reasons why the concept of herd immunity cannot be expected to end the COVID-19 pandemic before the discovery of a vaccine for the Corona virus.

The best way that can be applied is to break the chain of transmission, namely by making various efforts to prevent transmission. Apply physical distancing, do regular hand washing, maintain endurance, and limit going outside the house.

Perform independent isolation if you have a fever and cough accompanied by shortness of breath, especially if in the last 2 weeks you are in a COVID-19 endemic area. After that, call the COVID-19 hotline on 119 Ext. 9 for further directions.

To find out how likely you are to be infected with Corona virus, try the free risk check feature of Corona virus provided by Alodokter. If you have questions, whether it's about symptoms or prevention of Corona virus infection, you can chat directly with the doctor on the Alodokter application. You can also make a doctor's appointment at the hospital through this application.

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