UNS — The Alumni Association (IKA) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held another Wedangan on ‘Living in Harmony with Virus’ through the Zoom Meeting and Universitas Sebelas Maret YouTube streaming on Wednesday (16/3/2022) evening.
Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs UNS, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Yunus, M.S., in his opening remark, stated that the discussion was interesting and highly related to the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia. “This discussion is highly beneficial for us; hopefully (we) could be better. It seems like the vaccination program also boosted for education and public in general,” Prof. Yunus stated.
As a representative from IKA UNS, Prof. Dr. I Gusti Ayu Ketut Rachmi Handayani, S.H., M.M., delivered her gratitude and appreciation for all speakers for sharing their perspectives in the health, economy, and psychology fields. “Hopefully, Wedangan series 100 could bring blessing and benefits,” she stated.
dr. Tonang Dwi Ardyanto, Sp.PK(K)., Ph.D., FISQua, shared materials from a healthcare perspective regarding whether Covid-19 could be transitioned to a lower level. He emphasized the decreased bed occupancy ratio in hospitals compared to the delta variant peak in July 2021. Considering the weekly cases from the delta and omicron national cases, Indonesia has succeeded in reducing positive cases significantly. However, dr. Tonang reminded us that the mortality rate remains dynamic and has not shown a stable decrease. “Especially when we heard about the domination of omicron BA.2 that was worried to cause significant symptoms for elderly, people with heart disease, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, and the like, although the cases have decreased,” dr. Tonang emphasized.
dr. Tonang added that daily cases still fluctuate according to the number of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, indicating that cases could increase if PCR testing is increased. Regarding the transition into the endemic situation, dr. Tonang stated that it is not an ideal situation because the illness is still around, but the infection could be minimized. The transition also requires several indicators, including transmission rate below 1, positivity rate below 5%, hospitality rate below 5%, fatality rate below 3%, and movement control order level 1, for at least six months. The vaccination rate also plays a vital role in the transition process, with a minimum target of 70% of the population being vaccinated.
From the economic perspective, Budi Santoso, S.E., Ak., MForAccy., PGCS., CA., CFE., CPA., shared the challenges that will be faced one to two years in the future. According to The Global Risks Horizon 2021 data, from 2021 to 2023, Covid-19 became the main focus of business discussion, followed by technology and weaponry in the next five years. The World Economic Forum also predicted that financial services would develop into all digital services. The non-cash transaction was predicted to double. “Thus, business is expected to develop rapidly. It will be related to our and global economic situation regarding the Covid-19 situation,” he added.
Budi then discussed the sectors that are positively affected by the pandemic, the fields affected, and the strategies that could be sought to recover the national economy. The five strategies mentioned by Budi are increasing investment that directly affects the community, including infrastructure and facilities, increasing state income, reducing cost, increasing innovation, and supporting workforce readiness and skills.
From the psychological condition of the community, Rafika Nur Kusumawati, S.Psi., M.A., discussed that the community has started to move into the last stage of acceptance from the beginning of the pandemic that leads to denial, anger, and acceptance. She added that cognitive, affective, and social support are needed for the community to start changing.
Rafika also discussed the viral healing hashtag on social media and emphasized that the best healing is under the strict health protocol. She also shared various healing techniques such as guided imagery, self-talk, positive affirmation, and expressive writing. Humas UNS
Reporter: Erliska Yuniar Purbayani
Editor: Dwi Hastuti