West Kalimantan Health Office Detection Of D614G Virus Mutation Of COVID-19 Virus

PONTIANAK - Head of the West Kalimantan Health Service, Harisson, said that his party had detected the D614G virus that causes COVID-19 since August. The Health Office asked the people of West Kalimantan to be more alert.

"It is known that the D614G virus is a mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is the cause of the COVID-19 disease. It has been detected in a number of areas in Indonesia, including in West Kalimantan which has been detected in the Untan Laboratory since August 2020," said Harisson in Pontianak as quoted by Antara. Between, Tuesday, 29 December.

He explained that last August, his party detected a large viral load of more than 11 million copies of a Jakarta resident who came to Pontianak to attend a relative's wedding. After the virus samples were taken, there were several loads of the virus that were not the same as the currently known COVID-19 type D614G.

"The D614G virus is a mutation of a coronavirus structure which is not too malignant, but it has easy attachment to its host, so people are more susceptible to contracting this virus and show the same symptoms as corona," Harisson continued.

Even though it is not as hot as COVID-19, said Harisson, the public must increase awareness, because of its contagious nature. Therefore this virus will be very dangerous for people who have congenital diseases (comorbid).

"If there are people who have comorbidities, then that person will be easily infected and it is feared that this will increase the number of people who are hospitalized, then the comorbid will also die," said Harisson.

To anticipate the spread of the D614G virus, his party will tighten the entry of outsiders to West Kalimantan, one of which is by implementing a circular from the Governor of West Kalimantan regarding the rules for Christmas and New Year holidays in the province.

"We really have to be extra careful to protect our area from being entered by people who have confirmed cases of COVID-19. If anyone is going to West Kalimantan, they must show a negative result from the PCR test at the original airport if later the airline is still there. "To carry passengers who do not show their documents, we will be fined according to the governor's new regulation," he said.