Getting To Know The Kappa Variant Of COVID-19, Whose Initial Symptoms Are Similar To Measles

ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - The Kappa variant of COVID-19 has entered Indonesia, namely in DKI Jakarta and South Sumatra. Reportedly, people who contracted the Kappa variant had symptoms similar to measles. Is it true?

The Kappa variant or B1617.1 is a derivative of the B1617 variant from India. This variant is a derivative with the Delta variant or B1617.2.

Apart from India and Indonesia, Kappa variants have also been found in other countries such as Italy, UK, USA, Singapore, Canada, and Australia.

An epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman confirmed that a number of people who contracted the Kappa type of COVID-19 had symptoms similar to measles. However, these symptoms appear only within 1-2 days after contracting.

"Regarding this Kappa variant, the symptoms are the same as the initial symptoms of measles, but in the first one to two days. The difference is, the Kappa variant does not show skin disorders such as measles," said Dicky to VOI, Friday, July 8.

The initial symptoms of transmission of the Kappa variant that are similar to measles are rashes all over the body, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes.

Then the symptoms the next day, said Dicky, looked similar to other COVID-19 infections. Among them are flu, fever, headache, aches, prolonged cough, dry mouth, to loss of smell and taste.

Dicky said, Kappa is a variant of the virus that spreads more quickly. However, Dicky has not been able to confirm how fast the transmission of Kappa is and its comparison with the Delta variant.

"A lot of researchers have said that delta is 100 times faster than the original virus from Wuhan. The data on how fast Kappa is still needs to be looked for, but it doesn't seem much different from Delta," he explained.

Then, based on a case that occurred in Melbourne, Australia, the Kappa variant can also be transmitted to people who only passed each other for less than a minute.

"It was found that in people who passed each other there was Kappa transmission, even if they passed in less than a minute, with people who were both not wearing masks and had not been vaccinated," he added.