JAKARTA - Head of the Professional Development Division of the Indonesian Association of Epidemiologists (PAEI) Masdalina Pane reminded the need to strengthen health protocols to anticipate new subvariants of Omicron.
"The public must remain vigilant and improve health protocols," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 13.
The researcher from the Center for Public Health Research at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) explained that currently there are three new subvariants.
"The three subvariants currently in circulation are BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.75," he said.
Nevertheless, he said, the public did not need to panic excessively because the most important thing was to strengthen health protocols to reduce the risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
"Don't panic too much, but stay alert. People can also continue their activities because the most important thing is to keep strict and disciplined health protocols," he said.
Moreover, he said, for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with comorbidities, it is necessary to continue to be disciplined to strengthen health protocols.
"In addition, don't forget to always take care of vulnerable groups around us, such as babies and children, those who have comorbidities. Taking care of them means maintaining the health of our nation," he said.
Masdalina Pane added that apart from health protocols, vaccination from the first dose to booster doses is also the main thing needed by all residents.
"In addition, we must continue to fulfill the basic standards of epidemic control, especially 3T. The 3T practice plus the discipline of implementing health protocols and also vaccinations are a number of efforts needed to accelerate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
He explained that the 3T practice referred to is testing, tracing and treatment. According to him, increasing 3T capacity, especially at the micro level, must continue to be intensified in order to reduce the risk of transmission and spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin while speaking at the Bogor Presidential Palace Complex, West Java, Monday (11/7), estimated that the peak of cases of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants reached around 20,000 cases per day in the second or third week. July 2022.
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