How Big Is The Risk Of Long Covid-19 Survivors Of Omicron Cases?

Health workers carry COVID-19 patients in Myanmar in August 2021. (ANTARA-Karen Information Center-Handout via REUTERS)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Lung Doctors Association (PDPI) conveys that the risk of prolonged COVID-19 symptoms is low in people who have been vaccinated.

This was conveyed by the Chair of the PDPI Infection Working Group Erlina Burhan in a webinar themed Update on Management of COVID-19 in Jakarta, Tuesday 28 June.

"A study shows that the risk of long COVID-19 is indeed lower in people who have been vaccinated than those who have not been vaccinated, and the vaccine provides even partial protection against long COVID-19," he said.

Therefore, he continued, it was necessary for Indonesia to increase the coverage of the COVID-19 vaccination to the third dose or booster.

On the other hand, he added, people were asked to continue to wear masks in open and closed spaces. "Observe the health protocols and don't be careless even if the cases decrease later," he added.

On that occasion, Erlina also said that a study conducted in the UK showed the incidence of long COVID-19 in the Omicron variant was lower than the Delta.

Based on the Antara report, a study conducted in the UK showed that in Omicron cases as many as 2,501 cases or about 4.5 percent of 56,003 people experienced long COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in the Delta case, as many as 4,469 cases or 10.8 percent of 41,361 people experienced long COVID-19.

Thus, he said, the study concluded, the incidence of long COVID-19 in Omicron was much lower than in Delta.

"But we still have to take care of ourselves and our environment so we don't get infected. Therefore, health protocols and vaccinations are very important for prevention efforts," he said.

Recorded in the Ministry of Health's data, as of Tuesday at 12.00 WIB the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination or booster dose had been carried out on 50,220,477 people, or 24.1 percent of the total 208,265,720 population who were targeted for COVID-19 vaccination.

Meanwhile, there were 168,900,581 people who had received the second dose of vaccination, or about 80.1 percent of the vaccination target.

While the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination was recorded to have been carried out on 201,418,060 people or 96.7 percent of all vaccination targets.