At Least 107 Health Workers In Yogyakarta Were Exposed To COVID-19, Luckily Only Mild Symptoms

Medical officers treat patients in a barracks tent that is used as an Emergency Room (IGD) (Photo: DOK ANTARA)

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City COVID-19 Task Force noted that at least 107 health workers in the city were exposed to COVID-19 since the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant.

“Most of them have now been declared cured. However, it is possible that the number could increase because the data is very dynamic," said Heroe Poerwadi, Head of the Yogyakarta City COVID-19 Handling Task Force in Yogyakarta, Antara, Friday, February 25.

Most of these health workers work in the first health care facility or at the puskesmas, but there are also health workers who work at the Yogyakarta City Health Office.

“Health workers are indeed a vulnerable group because they work on the front line. Of course, the risk of exposure is very high," he said.

Nevertheless, Heroe said, most of the health workers who were exposed did not show symptoms of illness or only experienced mild symptoms.

The number of health workers exposed to COVID-19 is due to various health services, including booster vaccinations for the elderly and case tracking activities. Currently, the achievement of booster vaccination for the elderly reaches around 51 percent.

Meanwhile, Head of Disease Control and Management of Data and Information Systems of the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Lana Unwanah, said that the current case transmission was dominated by transmission within the family.

“This is because the Omicron variant is highly contagious. So, transmission within the family has started to dominate the case findings lately," he said.

However, Lana stated that the severity caused by the Omicron variant was lighter than the Delta variant, so that most patients had no symptoms or only mild symptoms.

"Keep in mind, this variant still poses a risk of severity for the elderly and children who have not been vaccinated. The hope is that health protocols at home must also be observed," said Lana.

On Thursday, there were an additional 660 new COVID-19 cases in Yogyakarta City, with 367 patients recovering or completing isolation and one patient dying. Thus, there are 4,181 active cases in the city.