New COVID-19 Mutation Emerges In Indonesia And The Potential Increasing Cases Again

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JAKARTA - Even after a year the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Indonesia, the government has announced a case finding with a new mutation of type B117 emerging in the country. There were two cases of COVID-19 B117 which were recorded, which infected Karawang residents after returning from abroad.

This new strain of the coronavirus originated from England. Reportedly, the new mutation of COVID-19 spreads faster than the type of virus that has not mutated.

An epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman said, the presence of a new mutation of COVID-19 would be able to increase the number of cases in Indonesia again.

In fact, the number of active cases of COVID-19 per day is 147.197. This figure has decreased from two weeks ago of 160.494 active cases. Dicky reflected on the spike in cases in the UK due to this new type of virus.

"When the first new strain was discovered in the UK in September 2020, this case was discovered during a lockdown. That is the trend of increasing cases and the infection continues to occur even though it is in the middle of a lockdown", Dicky told VOI, Thursday, March 4.

Indonesia has indeed implemented layered screening of foreign travelers. When they arrive at the airport, the travelers were subjected to a repeat swab test, before finally being allowed to continue their travelling.

However, said Dicky, the case could still pass even though there had been a double examination. Reflecting on Australia, this country was also missed despite the high supervision of travelers.

"After 14 days of quarantine isolation, then a positive PCR examination with genomic sequencing is not enough, actually. At least they need to undergo two tests", explained Dicky.

Chronology of the emergence of new variant COVID-19 cases

Initially, two female Indonesian workers (TKI) with the initials M and A returned from Saudi Arabia, using a Qatar Airways plane. The arrival of the two migrant workers to Indonesia used different planes even though they both landed at Soekarno Hatta Airport. M landed on January 28, 2021, while A landed on January 31, 2021.

Both have been given PCR swab tests with positive results. Then the isolation was carried out in Jakarta. From the whole genome sequencing test, it was found that they had been exposed to a new mutation of the coronavirus from England.

Currently, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed that the new variant of the COVID-19 case that infected its citizens already had negative test results. However, they are still undergoing independent isolation.

"Two (cases) per day have been negative from the new mutation of the virus but are still isolated in their respective homes. We (West Java Provincial Government) are still not sure (it is not infectious). So we do additional isolation", said Ridwan Kamil.

Furthermore, the man who is familiarly called 'Kang Emil' asked the Karawang Regent, Dandim, and the Head of the Karawang Regional Police to increase contact tracing of the two new mutation cases.

"Don't let the mistakes get bigger and out of control. While it's only small, and maybe there could also be other things to detect immediately. We know when it's too late, the price of the treatment is very expensive", he said.