Ministry Of Health Calls Omicron Variant COVID Found In Unvaccinated HIV Patients

Screenshot of the Director of Direct Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the new variant of the COVID-19 type Omicron (B 1.1.529) was related to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

"The case of the occurrence of this new variant was found in people with HIV status who have not received vaccinations and who have received vaccinations", she said in the 2021 World AIDS Day webinar which was followed online in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, November 29.

Siti said that many Omicron variants were first reported in South Africa. "From the briefing delivered by WHO, it is most likely that this variant appears because we know that South Africa is mostly people with HIV", she said.

She added that the new variant of COVID-19 from South Africa was almost the same as the variant that also came from other South Africa, namely the Beta variant which had a major influence on decreasing vaccine efficacy.

"Two variants are originating from South Africa which is currently listed as variants of concern, namely the Beta variant and the Omicron variant", she said.

To prevent the entry of the new variant of COVID-19, Nadia said, the government has issued a travel ban from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, and Hong Kong to the Indonesian territory.

"While Indonesian citizens (WNI) who then travel 14 days before or stay, they can still return to Indonesia, but quarantine for 14 days", she said.

Meanwhile, for Indonesian citizens who come from abroad outside the countries that are included in the list of bans, it was conveyed, to quarantine them for seven days from the previous three or five days.

"All positive specimens were examined for genome sequencing, especially countries that have reported confirmed and probable cases", said Siti Nadia Tarmizi.