UI Study Finds Covid-19 More Prevalent in Slums

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The latest serological survey carried out by the University of Indonesia (UI) public health faculty found that the most Covid-19 infections are proportionally higher in slums. 

Citing the data obtained based on residential status in Jakarta in March 2021, UI epidemiologist Pandu Riono said 48.4 percent of residents who have been infected by the virus live in slums while 37.5 percent infections were found in non-slum residential areas. 

The faculty previously released a study stating that 44.5 percent of Jakarta residents, nearly half of it, have been exposed to Covid-19 with 47.9 percent cases involving female respondents and 41 percent of male respondents. 

“There may be a larger number of people staying home in non-slum areas compared to those living in slums,” said the epidemiologist in a virtual event on July 13. 

The survey, that is done with the provincial health agency, the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology, and the CDC Indonesia, involved 4,919 respondents, which is 98.4 percent from the initial goal of 5,000 people. Respondents are spread across 100 sub-districts in six areas in Jakarta. 

Data and specimen gatherings were conducted on March 15-31, 2021. It used the tetracore-luminex test viral antibody detection, which is deemed accurate enough. 

During the sampling period, Pandu Riono revealed that prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 positive antibodies mostly came from Central Jakarta with 53.7 percent.

Meanwhile, other Jakarta areas such as West Jakarta was at 54.4 percent, North Jakarta 44.5 percent, South Jakarta 44.4 percent, East Jakarta 40.9 percent, and Kepulauan Seribu or Thousand Islands at 39.3 percent.

Read: Jakarta Adds Highest Number of New Cases to Indonesia's Daily Covid-19 Count

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI