DPD Encourages The Government To Make Research On Statin Consumption Information Claimed To Reduce The Risk Of Death Due To COVID-19

ILLUSTRATION / UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - Committee III DPD encourages the government to conduct research on information regarding statin consumption that can help reduce the risk of death from severe COVID-19.

Deputy Chairman of Committee III DPD, Muhammad Rakhman said, a study reported by Medical News Today, shows that taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) can help reduce the risk of death from severe COVID-19.

Several countries, he said, reportedly conducted research and clinical trials of this drug which claimed to have shown significant results. The study stated that people who regularly took statins before developing COVID-19 were 50 percent less likely to die in hospital than people who didn't.

"The transmission rate of COVID-19 in Indonesia is still high and medicines for healing are also quite expensive. One of the causes of the economic crisis is the very high allocation of funds for controlling COVID-19," said Rakhman in his statement, Wednesday, March 10.

According to him, cheap and easy to obtain alternative medicines are needed to reduce the rate of transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, Committee III DPD encourages the government to conduct research on information circulating that consuming statins can reduce the risk of death from COVID-19.

"So that the public can immediately conclude the usefulness of this drug and have alternative drugs for COVID-19 patients," added Rakhman.

In addition, the senator from Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan) asked the public to be careful with information on the existence of drugs that can cure COVID-19. Rakhman asked the public not to easily believe it before BPOM issued a permit to use the drug.

"In times of (the COVID-19 pandemic) like this, of course there are many people who take advantage of opportunities to seek profit. Until there are also those who sell drugs which he claims are drugs for COVID-19," he said.

However, Rakhman asked people not to easily believe it first. The public, he said, must be smarter to find out before consuming a drug, it must be registered with the BPOM.

He said the COVID-19 vaccine, which the government is currently distributing, is not to cure COVID-19. The main purpose of vaccination is to build herd immunity.

According to him, this would only be effective in breaking the chain of transmission if the minimum two-thirds of the population had antibodies to fight COVID-19.

"For that, there needs to be an understanding given to the public that the vaccine is not a drug to cure COVID-19," said Rakhman.