JAKARTA - The new variant of COVID-19 found in Africa, Omicron, shows mild symptoms as experienced by a pediatric patient in South Africa, said Pediatrician dr. Natural Anggraini.
This doctor from the Indonesian Pediatric Association said the symptoms of Omicron are similar to other viral infections.
"Similar to what disease symptoms in children? Similar to other viral infections, so it is not easy to distinguish whether this is due to COVID-19 or other diseases", explained Anggraini in an online press conference quoted by Antara, Monday, November 29.
This variant causes mild symptoms such as fatigue, he said. If the child shows symptoms of a viral infection, further examination is needed to determine whether the child is exposed to the Omicron variant or other diseases.
"The test is very important to confirm that 'this is COVID' or not", he said, referring to the antigen test or PCR.
However, to find out whether a child is infected with the Omicron variant or not, a more in-depth test is needed by sending a sample of the virus to a central laboratory.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday, November 28, said there was no evidence so far about the transmission rate and severity of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
"It is not known for certain whether Omicron is more infectious (eg, more easily transmitted between humans) than other variants, such as Delta", the WHO said in a statement.
The WHO said the spike in the number of COVID-19 positive people and hospitalizations in South Africa, where the new variant was first reported and thought to be the source, did not mean that the transmission or severity of Omicron was higher.
The WHO stressed, "this is likely due to the high overall number of people infected rather than the specific impact of Omicron".
"There is currently no information to suggest that the symptoms associated with Omicron differ from those of the other variants", the statement said.
According to limited information, the WHO also warns that people who have previously been exposed to COVID-19 can be reinfected with Omicron more easily than other wary variants.
The WHO says further studies are needed to better understand the Omicron variant.
While studies on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and testing on Omicron are ongoing, drugs normally used to treat COVID-19 could still be effective in treating Omicron infections, he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum HAM) through the Directorate General (DG) of Immigration updated the temporary entry ban for Foreign Citizens (WNA) to prevent the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
"The Directorate General of Immigration refuses entry to foreigners who have stopped or lived in South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho and Hong Kong within a period of 14 days", said the Head of Public Relations and General Directorate General of Immigration Kemenkum HAM, Arya Pradhana Anggakara, through a written statement received in Jakarta, Monday.
The ban on entry for foreigners is effective on November 30, 2021.
In addition, the Directorate General of Immigration has also temporarily suspended the granting of visit visas and limited stay visas for citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Hong Kong.
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