TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Health Ministry official Siti Nadia Tarmizi confirmed that the new coronavirus variant called AY.4.2, which is a mutation of the COVID-19 Delta variant, has not yet been found in Indonesia to date.

However, Nadia reminded all people to remain vigilant. “We still have to be vigilant because this variant is a sub-type of the Delta variant,” she said in Jakarta, Tuesday, November 16.

Nadia explained that the AY.4.2 variant is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant and is known as the Delta Plus variant. There are reportedly at least 60 sub-lineage of the Delta variant, and 22 of them have been discovered in Indonesia. The Delta Plus variant is known to dominate the surge in new cases in the UK.

The Delta variant which is widely circulated in Indonesia is similar to the virus variant in Singapore, namely the Delta AY.2.3 variant, Nadia informed further. This variant was dominated Indonesia’s positive cases last July. “It's more contagious, increases the mortality rate, and the severity,” she said of the variant.

Nadia also ensured that the existing vaccines rolled out throughout the archipelago are still quite protective against the new coronavirus variants, although there are some studies suggesting a possible decline in immunity over a period of time.

However, Nadia emphasized that people who have been vaccinated are less likely to be infected with the new variant of COVID-19 than those who have not been vaccinated. Therefore, she reminded the public to get COVID-19 vaccination as protection.

Read: Indonesia's Mutation of Delta Variant Detected in Singapore

ANTARA