Athletes Of DKI Positive For COVID-19 At PON Papua Suspected Of Exposure To New Variants

JAKARTA - DKI noted that five of its athletes were exposed to COVID-19 while competing in PON XX Papua. The coordinator of the DKI contingent doctor, Junaidi, suspects that the five athletes have contracted the new variant of COVID-19.

Because, based on the examination of the local Health Service, the CT value from the PCR examination of the athletes was quite low. CT is the number of cycles generated in searching for viral genetic material from mucus samples or swab results of COVID-19 patients.

"Some of our athletes, their CT is still very low. So, we in Papua, including the Papua Health Service, suspect that there is a new variant here, because we can see from the low CT," Junaidi said when contacted, Tuesday, October 5.

Junaidi said that the athletes who were exposed were roller skating and softball athletes in Jayapura. Then, there are also basketball and judo athletes in Timika. "There were three athletes exposed in Timika, in Jayapura there were two," he said.

Junaidi estimated that the Jakarta contingent contracted the coronavirus while in Papua. This is because they have departed from Jakarta since September 15. This means that the incubation period has passed if they were exposed in Jakarta.

"They have also been here for a long time, it can't be from Jakarta, it's just where they are going, that's the problem," said Junaidi.

Furthermore, these five athletes were detected to have contracted the coronavirus when they finished competing. So, this incident did not hinder their match.

The athlete is currently isolated in a hospital in Papua until he is declared cured of COVID-19. After that, they can only return to Jakarta.

"We are self-isolating. We lost in Jayapura, we are self-isolating in a private hospital that we pay for ourselves. The one in Timika is at the Timika Hospital," he explained.