The test is expected to contribute to the treatment of COVID-19Jakarta (ANTARA) - Research and Technology Minister/Chairman of National Agency for Research and Innovation Bambang P.S. Brodjonegoro believes it would take at least a year to conduct research and development to come up with coronavirus vaccination in Indonesia.
"What about drugs and vaccines? This is medium to long term. For instance, it takes a minimum of a year to develop vaccines," he remarked during a press conference at Graha BNPB, Jakarta, on Monday.
However, Brodjonegoro pointed to vaccines developed overseas that can then be produced in Indonesia.
In addition to vaccines, the COVID-19 Consortium Team is prioritizing the development of supplements from various raw materials in Indonesia to maintain body immunity.
According to Brodjonegoro, the team had also conducted a study on COVID-19 drugs, one of which being quinine pills that bore similarities to Chloroquine, a malaria drug.
"The test is expected to contribute to the treatment of COVID-19," he stated.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 positive patients as of Monday, April 6, 2020, at 12:00 local time totaled 2,491, with 192 people having recovered, while 209 died.
Based on data, DKI Jakarta continues to be a province with the highest number of COVID-19 positive patients reaching 1,232 as of Apr 6, followed by West Java, at 263 cases; East Java, 189 cases; Banten, 187 cases; Central Java, 132 cases; and South Sulawesi, 113 cases.
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Reporter: Zuhdiar L, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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