Indonesia detects its 1st case of Omicron COVID-19 variant

JAKARTA: DEC. 16 – Indonesia has detected its first case of Omicron variant in a cleaning service worker at a hospital for COVID-19 patients in the capital Jakarta, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.

The patient who works in the Wisma Atlet emergency hospital is identified as N who showed no symptoms such as fever or cough, Sadikin told a virtual press conference, adding that N has never been abroad.

Sadikin explained that the patient underwent a routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on Dec. 8, and tested positive for COVID-19.

On Dec. 10, the sample was sent to the Ministry of Health for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) test, and on Dec. 15 the ministry confirmed that the patient has had the Omicron variant.

The Ministry of Health also detected five probable cases of Omicron variant.

“They have undergone PCR tests with special markers and we have taken samples for whole genome sequencing tests. We hope that we could confirm the results in the next three days,” said Sadikin.

Currently, the government is increasing the WGS test standard from 5 percent of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases to 10 percent, as well as intensifying the use of the S-gene target failure PCR test, which is more precise in identifying the Omicron variant.

Indonesia has managed to contain the second wave of coronavirus transmission triggered by the more contagious Delta variant with a peak of 51,952 cases on July 15.

-Agency