You can see that the MU variant is not as fast as the Delta variant. In addition, there is no evidence whether MU is more virulent than Delta or vice versa
Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - The spread of the MU variant of COVID-19 will not exceed the spread of the Delta variant, virologist from Udayana University Bali Prof. I Gusti Ngurah Kade Mahardika has opined.

"You can see that the MU variant is not as fast as the Delta variant. In addition, there is no evidence whether MU is more virulent than Delta or vice versa," he elaborated on Monday.

The spread of the MU variant is much slower than that of the Delta variant. Meanwhile, in terms of the severity of each virus variant, there is no definite data or evidence, he pointed out.

"For those who have been vaccinated, I think they are still efficacious with good immunity. So, there is no need to worry," he remarked.

The MU variant will still need to be continuously studied, Mahardika said. It was reported to have appeared in Colombia in early 2021 and then have spread to other regions, with the percentage of infections low, he noted.

The MU variant could be a derivative of the Alpha variant that spread from England, he surmised.

"Even the Delta variant appeared in recent months after the MU variant but is already dominating the world. In the world, 70-90 percent of the circulating viruses are Delta variants," Mahardika said.

At this time, it is important to tighten the entry and exit of foreigners into Indonesia, he advised.

The government should tighten PCR tests and quarantine regulations for foreigners, he added.

"The important thing is the entry of foreigners into Indonesia and followed by negative PCR and then a five-day quarantine. The negative PCR (rule) should not be relaxed and remain strictly enforced. I am sure there is no country that is safe and can suppress the entry of new variants from outside. So, at least we can prevent the virus' risk of entering Indonesia," he said.

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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Sri Haryati
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