Ministry Of Health Confirms COVID-19 XE, XD, And XF Subvariants Have Not Been Found In Indonesia

Health workers treat COVID-19 patients in the country. (Between)

JAKARTA - There is another COVID-19 mutation with XE, XD and XF subvariants. Secretary of the Directorate General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, revealed that this subvariant has been found in a number of countries.

However, Nadia emphasized that cases of infection with these three subvariances of the corona virus had not been found in Indonesia.

"Until now, neither the XE, XD, or XF sub-variants have been found in Indonesia," said Nadia in her statement, Friday, April 15.

Nadia explained that the XE sub-variant is a combination of the BA.1 and BA.2 genetic sub-variants. Meanwhile, these BA.1 and BA.2 variants are mutations of the Omicor variant or B.1.1.529.

Nadia said that the XE subvariant was considered to be more contagious than the BA.2 subvariant. However, there is not enough epidemiological evidence to show the changes in society.

"This XE subvariance was first detected from a specimen on January 19 in England and there have been 763 cases of XE found," said Nadia.

Meanwhile, the XD and XF subvariants are a combination of the Delta AY.4 variant and the BA.1 subvariance. XF sub variants have been found in the UK, but are still very small in number.

Furthermore, Nadia said that until now there was no difference in specific symptoms in the three sub variants. This sub variant is still the same type as the Omicron variant.

However, he said, the presence of a number of mutations in this virus still had to be watched out for even though the condition of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had been sloping.

"This means that it is still our concern that even though it is said to be more infectious than the Omicron variant," said Nadia.

"Because we are part of efforts to suppress transmission and mitigate the impact of the transmission, these subvariants are of concern to us all," he said.