Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carrier May Rise, Doctor: Wear Mask

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of asymptomatic coronavirus carrier is predicted to increase and undetected due to the rising number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia and the limited lab test to detect the virus.

The asymptomatic carriers still interact with other people freely and they have potential to transmit the virus to others, especially to the individuals prone to be contracted with the virus. 

Until todya, the experts believe that there are three main strategies to break the chain of the virus transmission in the society, namely by washing hands with soap and running water, performing social and physical distancing, and wearing a cloth mask when going out of the house. 

"We see when the social physical distancing protocols are hard to implement, then the use of cloth masks is quite effective to reduce the risk of covid-19 transmission,” said dr. M. Hud Suhargono, SpOG(K), a public relation official of a community-based organization, Keluarga Penyangga Indonesia.

The organization is currently active in campaigning the use of cloth masks in the society to prevent coronavirus transmission.

Hud added that in early April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the United States recommended the use of homemade cloth mask as an alternative of face mask for the general public. The limited number of medical masks (surgical masks/ N95 masks) should just be used by medical workers at the health facilities.

"Masks shouldn’t only be worn by those who are sick," said the doctor. 

Cloth masks are expected to ease the people in getting it or make it at home so they have an alternative instead of not wearing any when leaving the house or interacting with others. In addition, cloth masks can be washed repeatedly with detergent. 

"We, Keluarga Penyangga Indonesia, suggest people wear a multilayer cloth mask to improve the effectiveness of its protection against virus transmission," dr. Hud remarked.

Erwin Prima