VIVAnews - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce on Telecommunications Division, Anindya Bakrie, was only infected with the swine flu. He was attending a special study program at the Harvard University in Boston, United States when the virus caught him. Anin’s wife and their three children were also infected. How did it feel to be a swine flu patient?
Find out in our interview with Anindya Bakrie:
How did you and your family catch the swine flu in the US?
We were infected with the flu about two to three weeks ago during the beginning of my Executive Program at the Harvard University. Actually it was my wife who was first infected. I think she got it from someone aboard of our flight from New York to Boston. The departure was indeed delayed although all passengers were on board. Because we were staying in the same apartment, the flu could easily spread, just like any other flu. Now we are all cured.
What were the symptoms? Were they as scary as reported by the media?
The symptoms were really similar to any other flu because it spreads through virus strain. The first symptom was the fever, which was our body’s reaction against the virus. Often there were also coughing and sneezing. The symptoms and recovery processes are different from one to another, depending on their physical condition. Luckily, I, who often work out and take multivitamins, was recovered in around two days. So were my children. But my wife did not get over it until four to five days later.
How did you cure it?
Just like curing any other flu. The most important thing is to keep our body temperature from exceeding the normal level- 40 Celcius degrees or 100 Fahrenheit. The fever can be treated using anti-fever medicines such as Panadol, Tylenol, and Tempra for children. If the fever doesn’t go away in two or three days, I suggest you to see the doctor and take a blood, saliva, and x-ray test. In more serious cases, the patients could also experience breathing trouble. This really requires special attention. We have to be cautious about this flu, especially children under 5 years old and adults above 65 years old. One of the preventing actions-at least to minimize the effects-is by keeping up our physical condition with vitamins and periodic anti-flu shots.
How do they handle the disease in America?
Some of the preventions are set out naturally by getting enough rest and drinking a lot of water or simply just taking regular anti-fever medicines. In special treatment, vaccines and drugs like Tamiflu are used to speed up the recovery. In my case, my family mostly took regular medicines even though Tamiflu and vaccines were also used.
Your father, Aburizal Bakrie was assigned as the head of the National Swine Flu Prevention while his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren were infected.
(Laugh) That means we’re all still human. This is good. So, Mr Ical (Aburizal Bakrie)’s leadership in the team should be effective because his family has their own personal experience.
Were you still able to attend the short course despite the swine flu? What did you study?
Fortunately, during the one-month Executive Program, I was only absent for one day because I had to take my family to the doctor. The program was held by Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy and Harvard Business School. In Kennedy School, the topic of the program was “Building Infrastructure in Market Economies,” while in Business School, I was attending the “Making Corporate Boards Effective” program. Both programs were really relevant and useful for me. It was also good for re-charging my brain since I took the MBA Program in Stanford ten years ago.
We heard you joined the program together with Agus Yudhoyono (the son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono). Was he infected too?
Agus was fine. Probably the physical condition of a civilian was different than a soldier’s (laugh).
From this unique swine flu infection experience, what do you think the national team should do?
I think it’s important to keep running campaigns about the flu to keep people informed, especially the parents, on how to handle the flu properly and proportionally. The government also needs to collaborate with the doctors in taking instant actions in mild and serious actions. However this is a world phenomenon which also occurs in developed countries.
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Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
