PEPH Talk 2020

As we discern, the number of COVID-19 cases as an emerging infectious disease increases over time. Globally, as of 27 September 2020, there have been 32,673,432 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to WHO. In Indonesia, the government enacted a health protocol and lockdown based on the severity level of the pandemic. However, many people do not heed to the protocols. They disregard the danger of not wearing a mask in public places. Some of them do not even keep a safe physical distance from each other. Marketplace and mall are swarming with people as if nothing would happen to them.

Not merely that, according to Pierce et al., in the journal of “Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal probability sample survey of the UK population”, the mental health condition is deteriorating in England during the pandemic. As addressed in the above, people need to know the proper way to implement health protocol and maintain their mental health in this New Normal era. Whereby, SCOPH and SCOPE CIMSA UGM held a two-day webinar we proudly call as PEPHTalk (SCOPE and SCOPH Talk) on 19^th to 20^th September 2020.

On the first day of PEPHTalk, we chose “Adaptasi Kebiasaan Baru” as the topic to broaden our awareness and understanding apropos to how we should implement the health protocol and “New Normal” accordingly in this pandemic. The representative of Directorate of Surveillance and Health Quarantine of Ministry of Health (dr. Chita Septiawati, MKM) and the National Professional Officer of WHO Indonesia (Dina Kania, S.H., LLM) discussed the topic thoroughly on the first day. We learned about what the WHO had done for handling the COVID-19 pandemic situation, an update about the COVID-19 vaccine, how we should wear a mask properly, how we should implement the health protocols, how we should wash our hands, and so on.

Not only we get to learn about that, but we also have the chance to face the new normal in a different perspective on the second day. PEPHTalk provides a discussion with a psychiatrist, Dr. dr. Carla R. Marchira, Sp. KJ(K), to talk about how we can maintain our mental health during this pandemic as regards to the causes, symptoms, and treatment of mental health issue during this pandemic. Over and above that, SCOPE cleverly shows another point of view by presenting incomings from Italy and Germany on account of their countries’ considerably successful attempt at suppressing the number of COVID-19 cases. The SCOPE incomings elaborate on their countries’ approach and method to implement the “New Normal”. They also explained what their people do during the quarantine and lockdown.

We sincerely hope that PEPHTalk 2020 can make an impactful upsurge in knowledge and awareness by presenting useful and accurate information as to how we should implement the new normal accordingly and maintain our mental health in this pandemic.

– Zulfa Dhiya’ Chrismarizki