TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A volunteer for the country’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate trial has reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Reports suggested the volunteer tested positive after two injections of the vaccine candidate.

“There are a number of possibilities that led to this incident,” said Eddy Fadlyana, the field manager of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate trials at Padjadjaran University’s faculty of medicine on Thursday, Sept. 10.

According to Eddy, this was revealed after the Bandung City Health Agency reported it to the vaccine development team 9 days ago. The volunteer underwent a swab test at a local healthcare unit (Puskesmas) one day after the vaccine candidate injection.

Eddy persists that the volunteer showed no signs of contracting COVID-19 as the person was injected with the vaccine candidate for the second time.

The volunteer underwent a swab test after it was known that the person had a travel history to areas outside of Bandung. The volunteer currently is under self-isolation and closely monitored by local health agencies and has reportedly shown positive signs of recovering.

“There was a 14-day gap between the first injection and the second one. Between that, the person traveled to Semarang,” Eddy explained.

The swab test that the volunteer participated in was not included in the vaccine candidate trial program and was entirely a coincidence.

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ANWAR SISWADI