JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin explained the government's reason for allowing the public to remove masks outside. According to Budi, currently the number of people who have community antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is currently very high.
Before the Lebaran season, the government conducted a sero survey of the antibodies of the people in Java and Bali. As a result, there is an increase in the number of people who already have antibodies from December 2021 by 93 percent to 99.2 percent in March 2022.
"It turned out to be an increase from 93 percent to 99.2 percent. This is due to a combination once again due to the acceleration of vaccination, but also the transmission of Omicron which is much higher than Delta. So, many of our people are infected and have antibodies that come from infection," Budi said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, May 17.
In addition, Budi said that it is not only the population that has more antibodies at this time, but also the antibody titer or antibody levels are much higher.
In December 2021, the average community antibody levels are in the hundreds. Then, in March, his antibody levels rose to 7,000 to 8,000.
"This proves that our society, apart from having more antibodies, also has higher antibody levels or antibody titers," said Budi.
What's more, many Indonesians who have been vaccinated are now exposed to Omicron. Research around the world shows that the combination of vaccination plus infection forms what in scientific circles is called super immunity.
"So, people who have been vaccinated are then affected, besides protecting the person concerned from being admitted to the hospital, but also building super immunity," he added.
Previously, President Joko Widodo announced that now people are no longer required to wear masks when doing outdoor activities. However, for activities in closed spaces and public transportation, the government still requires people to wear masks.
Then, for groups of people who are categorized as vulnerable to the elderly, or have comorbid diseases, Jokowi still advises them to continue to use masks when doing activities.
Likewise for people who experience symptoms of coughs and colds, they still have to wear masks when doing activities.
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