JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health is still conducting epidemiological investigations regarding the Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.1 or Arcturus as the cause of the increase in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia in recent weeks. "In Indonesia, most of the COVID-19 cases are still due to the BA variant.4 with the same pattern as Arcturus, which is fast to spread," said Head of the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Communication and Public Service Bureau Siti Nadia Tarmizi quoted by ANTARA, Friday, April 14. According to Nadia, the epidemiological investigation process departed from two cases of Arcturus experienced by two DKI Jakarta residents in March 2023. "We studied two cases carried out by epidemiological investigations, one of the Foreign Travel Actors (PPLN) from India, namely a man aged 56 years, and one other case of 30 years without a history of overseas travel," he said.Nadia said, "The Ministry of Health is intensifying the genomic surveillance process to detect the cause of the significant increase in cases in the last few weeks. According to him, the increase in cases in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation under control in Indonesia has averaged around 200 to 300 cases. However, in the last two weeks the number of cases had reached 900 cases. "However, even though there is a significant increase in cases, even though the death rate and people being treated in the hospital are still less the same, it is still below 15 cases (deaths), hospital occupancy is below 5 percent," he said. Even though Arcturus and BA.4 have the same transmission pattern as in India, the death rate is fairly low.Nadia appealed to the public to immediately get a second booster vaccine, as well as to increase self-awareness to do health tests if symptoms. "If illness immediately tests and isolation or health protocols are still the key against the new variant," he said.Nadia added, the Arcturus subvariant is suspected of being able to reduce the antibody protection obtained naturally through infection or vaccination.
He said the average treatment for patients was around 5 to 6 days, and two cases of Arcturus in Jakarta had fully recovered. "So, if we look at the protection of immunization, it is still enough to fight this variant. What is important is protection, not only individuals but also groups, how can we continue to protect ourselves and the community can booster while the opportunity is still there," said Nadia
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