TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, appeals to the public not to panic following the positive coronavirus or Covid-19 on two Depok residents. He hopes that society will be alert, but remain calm and active as usual.

"I need to say that the symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu's and the fact is that most of the patients in China, Wuhan, Japan, Iran, Italy, can recover well," Widodo said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

"So, we don't need to be afraid with this case, while we remain vigilant in conducting our activities."

The president asked the public to believe that this problem can be handled. "Let pray and hope they can recover. Let provide support and sympathy to both patients," Jokowi said.

Secretary of the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) Achmad Yurianto said the Coronavirus mutated from time to time. These mutations cause some positive cases of COVID-19 to show mild clinical symptoms or even no symptoms at all (asymptomatic).

"So the symptoms are getting lighter. Even in some cases, there are no symptoms. There are more positive cases, but the death rate is low. Now it is below 2 percent," he said at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Monday, March 2.

Most of the early symptoms of the Coronavirus are similar to ordinary diseases, such as coughs and colds. For this reason, the Health Ministry requests that the public actively check their health to the nearest health center or hospital if they experience coughs and colds, as well as maintain immunity. "We have only found out about his virus for two months; there is no vaccine yet, but a strong immune system can block it," Yurianto said.

Dewi Nurita | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)