Indonesian epidemiologist says country has reached ‘herd stupidity’ in COVID second wave

Dalam bahasa Indonesia

Two weeks ago, Gusman Suherman lost his father to COVID-19.

Before he died, Mr Suherman said his father was consumed by coronavirus misinformation and “hoax messages” circulating on text messaging apps in his hometown of Bandung, the capital of West Java, Indonesia. 

“He received information [on WhatsApp] saying that if you go to hospital, they are going to deliberately give you the virus,” Mr Suherman said.

He said as a result of the text messages, his father didn’t want to go to hospital despite being in a critical condition.

An alarming rise in infections in Indonesia has prompted warnings from health experts that the country’s second wave could be as bad as India’s.

On Thursday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced new emergency measures to contain the outbreak that has strained the country’s medical system.

It comes as the daily average number of cases in Indonesia over the past week has reached 20,000.

In Mr Suherman’s neighbourhood alone, at least nine people died from COVID-19 in the same week as his father. 

While he said he did not previously think that coronavirus would reach his family, Mr Suherman is now concerned that conspiracy theories circulating on social media will do serious damage.

“I am worried about this kind of information being received by people who are too lazy to find out the truth or double-check it, [and that] their chances of finding reputable sources are a bit difficult,” he said.

“They will believe all the information they receive.”

‘Herd stupidity’

A prominent epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Dr Pandu Riono, has described the situation in Indonesia as “herd stupidity”. 

“Indonesia has long been in a state of ‘herd stupidity’. It is human behaviour that encourages the virus to replicate, reproduce itself, and become more infectious,” Dr Riono said on his social media account.

He said government officials sent mixed messages and made poor decisions, while many people in Indonesia refused to follow health protocols and were reluctant to receive jabs.

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Dr Riono told the ABC he started using the phrase “herd stupidity” when he saw people celebrating and traveling to mark Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

“Instead of staying at home to prevent transmissions, they still made a trip to their hometown, and posted some stories on social media about whether the trip was easy or a tough one when crossing the borders,” he said.

Dr Riono added the government was not learning from or following the advice of experts and scientists.

“We want a miracle, so we let ourselves be lied to, be persuaded to use Ivermectin as a COVID medicine,” Dr Riono said, referring to an anti-parasitic drug that experts say should not be used to treat COVID-19. 

“Even government officials can be easily fooled and even endorse this medicine. That’s another stupidity.”

Mr Suherman said the term “herd stupidity” was a bit harsh, but he knew where it was coming from.

“Indeed we do have a group of people who are stubborn, but I can understand those who don’t believe in COVID-19 due to financial reasons,” he said.

“They can’t think thoroughly when they can hardly make ends meet.”

After losing his father, Mr Suherman said he hoped people would hold those who shared unverified information to account.

“We need to double-check. But if you can’t be bothered to double-check it, then don’t share it around.”

A spokesman for the Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force, Professor Wiku Adisasmito, told the ABC via text message the Indonesian government had done its best to handle the pandemic.

“We need to unite to fight COVID-19,” said Professor Adisasmito, who has been self-isolating after recently testing positive for coronavirus.

“Even if someone is considered stupid, who is considered smart at handling it?”

Mixed messaging from the government 

A study released last month by the Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS) found anti-vaccine messaging was often combined with anti-Indonesian government and anti-Chinese sentiments.

The study, which focused on TikTok users in the country, found that these messages were “typically couched in religious discourse and spread by religious micro-influencers”.

Yatun Sastramidjaja, a visiting fellow at the institute and an author of study, said it was a “worrying trend”. 

“First, because it indicates the government’s chronic failure to gain the public’s trust,” she said.

“There is [also] a long-established general distrust in the government’s motives, which is seen to prioritise the interests of elites rather than those of the general population.

“Second, in a climate of distrust, confusion and growing fears, religious micro-influencers can offer their followers a sense of refuge by nurturing faith in the protective power of religion and the bigger plan of the Almighty.”

Dr Sastramidjaja said some parts of the community were opposed to “mainstream reality”.

The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information said it had recorded 1,723 hoax messages about vaccines and COVID-19 this year alone.

The ministry said they were found on various social media platforms, and most widely circulated on Facebook.

Yanuar Nugroho, an Indonesian sociologist at ISEAS who has worked in the presidential offices of both Joko Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said the community was vulnerable to disinformation.

He said the government needed to do a better job at communicating the risks of the pandemic.

“Messages delivered in a risky situation, in a crisis setting, should not be ambiguous,” Mr Nugroho said.

Mr Nugroho said an example of mixed messaging was when the government put restrictions on people participating in Eid celebrations but allowed visits to tourist attractions.

“[The government made] an appeal not to travel, but now the state-owned Garuda Airways has just launched a promo: fly with Garuda, get free vaccinations … this, in my opinion, shows the government’s inability to build risk perception.”

Mr Nugroho said the government itself was not clear about what message it wanted to send to the public.

“In this critical situation, the government needs to have a single perception and a clear, consistent message.”

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*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from ABC News can be found here ***