"A study has shown that the risk of long COVID-19 is indeed lower in people who have been vaccinated compared to those who have not been vaccinated, and the vaccine provides protection against long COVID-19, even though partial," Chair of the PDPI’s Infection Working Group Dr. Erlina Burhan, M.Sc, Sp.P(K) said at a webinar themed "Update on Management of COVID-19," which was accessed from here on Tuesday.
Thus, Indonesia needs to increase its vaccination coverage up to the booster dose, she highlighted.
She also urged the community to continue wearing masks indoors and outdoors.
"Comply with the health protocols and do not be careless when the cases are decreasing," she appealed.
According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK), the incidence of long COVID-19 in people infected with the Omicron variant is lower compared to those infected with the Delta variant, she informed.
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The UK study showed that out of 56,003 Omicron patients, 2,501 or about 4.5 percent of people experienced long COVID-19, she said.
Meanwhile, out of 41,361 Delta variant patients, as many as 4,469 or 10.8 percent of people experienced long COVID-19.
Thus, the study concluded that the incidence of long COVID-19 among Omicron patients is much lower than in Delta patients.
"Nevertheless, we still have to take care of ourselves and our environment so we do not get infected. Thus, health protocols and vaccinations are crucial for prevention efforts," she remarked.
As part of efforts to boost community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, targeting as many as 208,265,720 citizens across the country.
According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of June 28, 2022, as many as 201,418,060 Indonesians have received the first vaccine dose, 168,900,581 have received the second dose, and 50,220,477 have received the booster dose.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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