'Super' Ability COVID B.1.1.529, DPR Leader Asks Government To Limit Travel For South African Citizens

Illustrations- (DOK Pixabay)

JAKARTA - A new variant of COVID-19 has been identified as spreading in South Africa. South African scientists, on Thursday, November 25, said they had detected a new variant of COVID-19 in small numbers and were working to understand its potential implications.

This variant may make the vaccine less effective and jeopardize the progress made around the world in fighting the pandemic. Genomic scientists, quoted by CNN, said variant B.1.1529 had an unusually high number of mutations, with more than 30 key spike proteins, structures that viruses use to get into the cells they attack.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation, said: "The variant has more mutations than we anticipated, is spreading very rapidly and we expect to see stress in the health system in the future, in days and weeks.

In response to this, Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, asked the government in this case the Ministry of Health to immediately conduct research, seek accurate information and data regarding the presence of a new virus variant or B.1.1.529.

Sufmi Dasco also urged the government to temporarily impose travel restrictions on citizens of South Africa and other identified countries.

"I think this is important to do as an effort to prevent, mitigate and protect the Indonesian people from the new virus variant COVID-19", said Sufmi Dasco, Friday, November 26.

The daily chairman of the Gerindra Party DPP revealed that from the information he received, the new variant from South Africa could mutate twice as much as the number of mutations in the Delta variant.

"Dealing with the Delta variant alone, we are already overwhelmed, the hospitals are full, the health workers are tired, the medicines are difficult, oxygen is difficult and there are not a few deaths. Therefore, the government must take firm steps so that the B.1.1.529 variant, which is said to be higher fiercer than this Delta into our country", said Dasco.

According to Dasco, apart from temporarily closing travel to South Africa and other identified countries, the Indonesian government must also implement strict health protocols for Indonesian travelers returning from destinations in these countries.

"It must be quarantined and ensured that no new virus variants have been identified", said Sufmi Dasco.