Indonesian Government Data 'Sued' U.S. Research Center, COVID-19 More Serious Than Announced?

Photo illustration (Source: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Government data on the death rate of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is questionable. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predicts the reality of deaths and other data related to COVID-19 Indonesia exceeds the authority's data report.

IHME is an independent global health research center at Washington University, USA. According to IHME records, on May 22, for example, the cumulative death rate reached 123,533.

Government version, the number is 49,205. In other words, there is a 2.5-fold difference between IHME data and the Indonesian government. IHME also projects an increase in daily COVID-19 deaths in Indonesia by 319 cases.

Meanwhile, according to government data, Indonesia's daily death rate was 132 cases in the same time period. In its records, IHME also projects the pandemic situation in Indonesia on September 1, 2021, where the death toll could reach 279,780 cases.

That's not the worst-case scenario. Worst of all, IHME predicts the death toll to reach 351,995 on the same date.

In addition to deaths, IHME also compares the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Referring to the same time, which is May 22, IHME predicts cases spread to reach 67,006 cases in a day, which in its worst prediction reached 70,453 cases.

Again this figure differs considerably from the government version. In government data, covid-19 daily cases increased by 5,296 cases from the results of examinations conducted on 41,765 people.

Reported by CNN, the details of the figures are 22,338 people examined using PCR swab, 298 people molecular fast test, and 19,129 people using rapid test antigen. Until now the 'golden standard' of COVID-19 screening in Indonesia is through PCR swab.