Epidemiologist Calls Indonesia Entering The Era Of Mix Variants Of COVID-19

Epidemiologist at Griffith University, Australia Dicky Budiman. (ANTARA)

Epidemiologist from Griffith University Dicky Budiman said the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia is entering the era of the mixed variant which has the potential to give birth to super mutations. "Since mid-November 2022, I have reminded you that the Omicron Subvariant BN.1 has contributed to the increase in cases in the pandemic wave in the mixed variant era," said Dicky Budiman, who was confirmed in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, December 9. The corona virus in Indonesia is currently said to be a variant mix because it amounts to more than one variant, including XBB, BQ.1 ranging from 90 percent, BA.5, and BN.1 which were detected as many as 20 cases. According to Dicky, BN.1 has a character that is more contagious and more easily bound to receptors, and is able to evade body immunity. "These two factors cause why SARS-Cov-2 causes COVID-19 to evolve. When the two meet in the subvariant and both are effective, when mitigation is lacking, the reinfection that occurs of the virus replicates and mutations gives birth to a super variant," he said. Dicky said it could potentially cause severity in infected patients. Whatever the current variant, said Dicky, the vaccine is still effective, but its efficacy cannot be ascertained in preventing transmission to a more super-subvariant. "Currently, the existing vaccines are relatively effective, but in preventing transmission, it is decreasing," he said. The Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that the Omicron BN.1 subvariant detected in Indonesia as of Thursday (8/12), totaling 20 cases since it was first detected in the Riau Islands on September 16, 2022. The cases were reported from DKI Jakarta as many as nine cases, Central Java five cases, Riau Islands three cases, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan one case each. BN.1 is a sublineage of BA.2.75 which is a derivative of the Omicron variant and in the world, first reported at the end of July 2022 from India. Currently, BN.1 cases are reported in the United States, Britain, Austria, Australia, and India. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the variant because there has been an increase in cases in the past month. Globally proportions of cases in the past week were 5.1 percent, an increase from 4.4 percent from the previous week. Nadia appealed to the public to remain obedient to health protocols to maintain distance, wear masks, and wash hands (3M) and immediately access vaccination services at the nearest health center. "We are still accelerating the vaccination, and booster vaccination is still a travel requirement," he said.