In the time of coronaviruses, it's time to face our precariousness – Opinion

The global coronavirus pandemic has forced people, whether they like it or not, to look at their lives differently and to become precarious.

The now global disease does not discriminate. Senior officials, celebrities and ordinary people can get it. And this is not a joke. Fewer and fewer people say it's like the flu or take it for granted.

People's ability to do things when they feel it has been abruptly suspended. If it is believed that they have been exposed or, worse yet, confirmed as having the disease, many options are excluded due to the need to isolate themselves – for at least 14 days.

The Indonesian government remains undecided on whether to take really firm action to resolve the problem. He juggles the political and economic impacts of each decision and probably considers his image in the process.

In the meantime, the virus continues relatively unabated, infecting more people and continuing to cause death.

No wonder some people took the matter in hand. Some have started to buy panics, put away rice and other necessities, while others have fled to places where they think they can avoid the virus, when in reality they can spread the virus further, harming the people you meet.

Others have followed the call for social distancing, staying and working from home while striving to do their own research on the virus, browsing through every article, real or fake, to survive the pandemic.

It is disheartening to learn that the virus spreads so quickly and can be fatal. Many patients survive the disease, but that does not mean that it is not an ordeal or may have long-term health effects, so the best thing is to stay completely clear and avoid to get it in the first place.

It is in this time of crisis that we realize that politicians have confidence to rule the country and that the people are chronically hesitant, which increases the danger.

Priority must be given to the people. Living in a big country like Indonesia, where more than 260 million people live, is scary if there is no standard procedure available to deal with this type of disaster.

There should be clear instructions for everyone on what can and cannot be done in this time of crisis. Measures should be taken immediately to prevent the virus from killing more people.

Each step should be done transparently, without leaving people in the dark or constantly guessing. People see the number of patients and deaths continue to increase.

COVID-19 cases are close to 200,000 people worldwide, and the disease has killed nearly 8,000 people since it was first identified in central China in late December. As of Wednesday noon, Indonesia had announced 227 confirmed virus cases in at least 12 provinces and 19 deaths; a jump from the previous seven.

There are many things that the Indonesian government can learn from the actions taken by other countries to deal with the pandemic. It will not be difficult to take examples of effective measures and implement them here.

The hesitation will only make things worse, and we're not just talking about Jakarta, but the 17,000 Indonesian islands.

It is in this time of crisis that we understand how crucial technology is. The internet, which is generally used only for chatting with friends and families or for uploading Instagram food photos, has become essential to allow people to work from home and students to continue their education in the context of school closings and universities. For others, it means fresh food and groceries at their front doors.

It is also the time when people really appreciate science, which has become the main hope of people to cope with the pandemic. Good news over the past week is the start of the first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine in the United States, but it may take another year to 18 months until it becomes available after make sure it works and that it is safe.

In the meantime, firm and transparent measures can calm people down and hopefully prevent the virus from spreading and killing more people. Faced with hesitation, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his officials must remember that time is running out.