400 Thousand Paxlovid COVID-19 Antiviral Drugs Have Arrived In Indonesia

ILLUSTRA TION BY VOI

JAKARTA - Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said as many as 400,000 COVID-19 antiviral drugs made by Pfizer, Paxlovid, had arrived in Indonesia in order to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to anticipate the need for drugs in the event of a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"The government has prepared medicines, Paxlovid 400,000 tablets have arrived, we have seen it, the plan will also be produced in Indonesia in March-April," he said in a press statement related to the results of a limited meeting on the Evaluation of the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) in Jakarta quoted Between, Sunday, January 16th.

In addition, the Indonesian government is also in the process of bringing in Paxlovid, which is expected to arrive in February 2022.

"So that when there is a spike in COVID-19 cases, the medicines will be ready," he said.

The Minister of Health said that President Joko Widodo had given directions to his party to ensure that the drugs were not only available at public health centers (puskesmas) or government hospitals, but also available at pharmacies.

The drugs for handling COVID-19, he said, will be divided into categories that can be purchased by the general public, which must be purchased by obtaining a doctor's prescription and can only be given through hospital treatment.

Previously, Minister of Health Budi said the increase in cases of Omicron would quickly reach the peak of cases, which was in the range of 35-65 days from the start of transmission.

"At the limited meeting, we updated the President that several countries had experienced the peak of the Omicron case and the peak was reached quickly and high, the time ranged from 35 to 65 days," he said.

He explained that the Omicron case was first identified in Indonesia in mid-December 2021, but cases in the country began to rise in early January 2022.

"Between 35 to 65 days there will be a fairly fast and high increase. That is what the community must be prepared for," he said.

The public is advised not to panic in the face of this possible condition, but rather to follow health protocols with discipline, avoid crowds and reduce mobility.

Although the increase in cases is faster and higher, the number of cases will be higher and transmission is faster, but the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 sufferers with the Omicron variant is lower than that caused by the Delta variant.