One of the main ways to maintain joint health is to take preventive measures consistently. Avoiding crowds or maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, and washing hands with soap are the three most important preventive measures.
However, there are still many who ignore these health protocols. One of the reasons or causes for them to remain ignorant of health protocols is because they do not believe in the existence of scientific facts and data of COVID-19.
According to BPS survey data, there is 44.9 million or 17 percent of people in Indonesia feel it is impossible to be exposed or immune from COVID-19. The results of this survey were conveyed by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force (Satgas) in early October (2/10). In addition, this data shows that 45 percent of Indonesians only follow strict health protocols when someone close to them is infected with COVID-19. , for example, neighbors, people in the neighborhood where he lives, or his family.
This distrust is not only disbelief in the existence of the COVID-19 outbreak itself, but there are several reasons and types of distrust of this pandemic situation. Some of those who ignore the protocol, believe in the existence of COVID-19 but do not take this disease as something serious. Others feel immune and unlikely to catch COVID-19.
Another reason for the distrust of this outbreak is that they doubt the case data. For them, the recording of the transmission rate is too exaggerated or the case data is incorrect and confusing.
The pandemic condition that has only occurred in the last hundred years is indeed a situation that has never been experienced by many people. Not only does it cause physical chaos, information that seems confusing and changing also causes mental chaos for many people. As a result, many people choose not to believe in the existence of COVID-19 rather than accept it as a new reality.
Being in denial isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it gives a person time to adjust. However, long-term denial can be dangerous not only to yourself but to others as well.
Denial and Rationalization
Ohio United States clinical psychologist, Eve Whitmore, said that denial of the facts of COVID-19 as a construct in psychology describes how people deal with reality. This is how people survive in a state of anxiety.
Denying the facts of COVID-19 is their way of eliminating things that can make them experience excessive anxiety. According to Whitmore, people like this are trying to protect themselves from anxiety and give themselves a false sense of security.
Some choose to deny some facts related to COVID-19 to justify their negative behavior in defying health protocols. For example, they believe that COVID-19 can heal on its own like the flu and choose not to believe that this disease can be severe and dangerous.
By denying and not believing the fact of the danger of COVID-19 transmission, they refuse to wear masks and continue to attend large gatherings. Although tens of thousands of victims have fallen and the transmission rate has been higher for almost a year until now there are still parties who do not believe in the existence of COVID-19.
It is feared that the policies for handling COVID-19 are not firm and the credibility of the data that is difficult to believe can increase the number of people's distrust of the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hello, Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
The pandemic has been going on for more than a year but there are still people who do not believe in the existence of Covid-19. They underestimate this virus even though there have been many victims who have proven the ferocity of Corona. In addition, there are still many who believe in negative news and other conspiracies. The issue is considered ridiculous but is still believed by many people. Including the news that the vaccine was infiltrated by chips so that people were reluctant to be vaccinated. The combination of hoaxes that continues to grow with poor handling by the government has then made the pandemic situation in Indonesia even more critical. It is not surprising that the term herd stupidity emerged, as coined by an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono. Social media is filled with complaints from netizens who are frustrated with their surrounding environment which is being consumed by oblique issues about Covid-19. Although information and data have been disclosed, the results are in vain. Important information is ignored, thus triggering a spike in cases like what has happened recently. Social Psychologist, Dicky Chresthover Pelupessy, Ph.D., said the phenomenon of people who do not believe in Covid-19 is closely related to the status of humans as cognitive beings. Naturally, we absorb and process information based on what disciplines, things we believe, and know. The Coronavirus itself is a new thing so it is natural that many people are still trying to recognize it and absorb the existing data. He added, several studies have proven, people who easily believe in conspiracies, including about Covid-19, usually don't believe in the government that is running. "The results of the study prove, usually those who do not believe, tend to prefer the conspiracy, do not trust the government, the position is the opposition," he explained to Kompas on Wednesday (23/06/2021). The slanted issue of Covid-19 and various other conspiracy theories is not a new thing in society. Many other hoaxes are still strongly believed by many people, including about the flat earth. The expert who graduated from the University of Indonesia explained that human vulnerability to conspiracies is a tangible form of our ability as a cognitive measure. "Humans are not good information processors," he explained. Humans process information with various limitations, unlike machines, which are more objective with various existing data. Human nature makes us vulnerable to bias which is influenced by many things. He added that the factors that have the most impact are taste, knowledge, and liking for something, including the government. For people who from the beginning had an acute dislike of the government, Dicky explained, this was used as a moment to find justification. Because they didn't believe in the government, they looked for other justifications for their behavior," he said. This immediately happened because of the public's distrust of Covid-19. According to him, many things contributed to this condition of communal ignorance. Mainly, the boredom of the pandemic, public confusion, and inconsistency in government policies. This combination made people reckless and ignored health protocols so that carry out mobility which has an impact on spikes in cases in various regions.