Genome Sequencing Has Been Done, The Ministry Of Health Makes Sure Your Variant Has Not Been Detected In The Country

ILLUSTRATION/IUNSPLASH

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono, confirmed that the Mu variant of COVID-19 had not been detected in Indonesia. This certainty, he said, was obtained after genome sequencing was carried out on thousands of samples owned.

"There is no Mu variant around us. We have done genome sequencing of 7,000 people throughout Indonesia and it has not been detected", said Dante in a press conference that was broadcast online on the YouTube account of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Monday, September 6.

Even so, the Deputy Minister of Health said that the Mu variant already exists in Colombia. However, Dante ensures the spread of this variant, unlike the Delta variant which is more contagious.

"Hopefully this Mu variant will be abortive as well as the Landa variant in Peru", he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was monitoring a variant of the new coronavirus known as Mu. The variant was first identified in Colombia in January.

Regarding this, the Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said the COVID-19 B1621 variant or the Mu variant found in Colombia is included in the variant of interest (VoI) classification. Currently, its distribution has been found in several other countries in South America and Europe.

"VoI status is given to the variant being observed to be able to conclude that this variant is more infectious than the original variant", said Wiku in a virtual press conference, Thursday, September 2.

In being aware of the entry of the Mu variant into Indonesia, Wiku said the government continues to monitor the movement of travelers who come from abroad to within the country itself.

"Although currently conditions tend to be normal and the opening of several sectors is also gradually being carried out, the government continues to try to monitor domestic and foreign mobility with great caution", he said.