The Maximum Duration Of Quarantine In Indonesia Is 10 Days, WHO Still Recommends 14 Days For COVID Patients

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) still recommends a 14-day quarantine even though the majority of COVID-19 patients recover within 5-7 days after symptoms appear. This rule is different from the policy that has been set by the government for 7-10 days.

However, according to Abdi Mahamud of the WHO's COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team, countries must make decisions about the length of the quarantine period based on a person's condition.

In a country with a low number of infections, a longer quarantine period could help keep the number of cases as low as possible, he said.

However, in countries with very low cases, a shorter quarantine may be justified to keep the countries' economies running, he said, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, January 5.

The WHO official said it was possible to catch the flu and COVID-19. However, because they are two different viruses that attack the body in different ways, there is a "small risk" that the two may combine to form a new virus.

According to WHO, as of December 29, 2021, around 128 countries have reported cases of Omicron. In South Africa, which saw a sharp spike in cases followed by a relatively rapid decline and hospitalization and death rates remained low.

However, the situation in each country will be different, said Mahamud.

"While recent studies point to the fact that the Omicron variant affects the upper respiratory system rather than the lungs, the good news is that a person at high risk who is not vaccinated is still potentially seriously ill from the variant."

Mahamud said Omicron could displace other variants in a matter of weeks, especially in areas that have a large number of susceptible people - let alone unvaccinated ones.

"The world has never witnessed such a transmission of a virus," he said.

The WHO's Immunization Strategy Advisory Expert Group (SAGE) will convene a meeting on January 19 to review the situation.

Topics that will be discussed include booster times, vaccine combinations, and future vaccine compositions.

The Latest Quarantine Rules in Indonesia

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced that the quarantine duration for travelers from abroad had been shortened again. Travel from countries that have a high number of cases of COVID-19, the Omicron variant, must be quarantined for 10 days. Travel from other countries that are included in the government's list related to Omicron's 7-day quarantine.

"Earlier, it was decided that the 14-day quarantine will be 10 days and the 10-day quarantine will be 7 days," said Luhut Monday, January 3.

In addition, the government is also planning to add to the list. countries that have recorded high cases of Omicron. Previously, Indonesian citizens who had just returned from abroad were required to quarantine for 10 to 14 days as an effort to stop the transmission of COVID-19.

This obligation is stated in the Decree of the Head of the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Number 1 of 2022 concerning Entry Points, Quarantine Places, and RT-PCR Obligations for Indonesian Citizens Traveling Overseas.

In a letter signed by the Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Suharyanto, it is stated that the difference in terms of the length of the quarantine period is based on the country of origin of the arrival of Indonesian citizens.