Omicron accounted for more than 93 percent of all specimens of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in the past month. This variant has a few subvariants, namely BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3.
By
Kompas Team
·3 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The BA.2 subvariant, which is 33 percent more infectious than the “original” Omicron variant, has been detected in 57 countries. With the detection of this variant in Indonesia, there may be a greater risk of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) weekly epidemiological report, Wednesday (2/2/2022), said that the highly contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2, had been detected in 57 countries. This subvariant accounts for more than half of the Omicron cases analyzed for genome sequencing.
According to epidemiologist and WHO chief technical officer Maria van Kerkhove, preliminary data suggest that BA.2 has a slight increase in growth over BA.1, the “original” Omicron variant.
Omicron accounted for more than 93 percent of all specimens of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in the past month.
“There is no indication of a change in severity in the BA.2 subvariant,” she said. The highly contagious Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms than variants such as Delta. However, several countries have seen an increase in cases being followed by an increased death toll. Australia recently reported a new single-day record in Covid-19 deaths.
Omicron accounted for more than 93 percent of all specimens of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in the past month. This variant has a few subvariants, namely BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3.
The first subvariants, BA.1 and BA.1.1, accounted for more than 96 percent of all Omicron cases GISAID collected. However, it was found that the BA.2 subvariant spreads faster than BA.1 in some parts of Europe and Asia.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed that the BA.2 Omicron subvariant had already been detected in Indonesia. As of Friday (28/1), 55 cases of this subvariant had been detected from genomic tests.
According to Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman, Indonesia must anticipate a sooner-than-expected spike in Covid-19 cases. There needs to be a change in control strategy.
A recent study by the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Ministry of Health confirmed that the BA.2 subvariant is much more infectious than BA.1. and more capable of infecting people who have been vaccinated. The study analyzed Covid-19 infections in 8,500 Danish households between December 2021 and early January 2022. The results of the study can be accessed at medrxiv.org and has not been peer reviewed.
PPKM level evaluation
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed the immediate evaluation of the public activity restriction (PPKM) levels. Regional heads, with the aid of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police, were asked to enforce health protocols and speed up vaccinations.
“I remind the public to remain calm in dealing with the new Covid-19 variant. Stay disciplined, adhere to health protocols and lessen unnecessary activities. For those who haven’t been vaccinated, get vaccinated immediately,” the President said online from Medan, North Sumatra, yesterday.
The national Covid-19 task force recorded 27,197 new cases on Thursday. The daily figure was up more than 100 times compared to the figure reported on 3 January with 265 cases. There are more than 3,000 Omicron cases in Indonesia.
The President reassured that the government had anticipated and prepared for a spike in cases better than last year, in terms of preparing hospitals, drugs and oxygen, isolation facilities and health workers. “Although the transmission rate of Omicron is high, its mortality rate is lower than Delta,” he said.
Jakarta proposes increasing the PPKM level. “We propose that the [PPKM] level in Jakarta is discussed because this cannot be a one-sided issue,” said Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria. (CAS/AIK/TAM/HLN/ERK/DAN)