EN
ID
ACTNews, SOUTH
JAKARTA – Currently, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was designated a
Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the rapid
spread compared to other Covid-19 variants.
According to Humanity
Medical Services - Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT)’s doctor Dr. Della Rachmawati,
M.D., the Omicron variant is the result of a mutation of the Covid-19 virus
which was first discovered in South Africa. The distinct characteristic of the Omicron
variant is its faster infection compared to the Delta variant.
"That's why
the number of daily active cases increases rapidly because the spread is very fast.
In Indonesia, the number of active cases has reached thousands," said Della,
Monday (1/24/2022).
In addition, this
variant of Coronavirus is able to reinfect those who have been previously
infected with COVID-19 of different variants.
"Patients who
have been previously infected with Covid-19 have a higher risk of being reinfected
with the Omicron variant," she explained.
Della adds that WHO
is currently conducting research into this variant. There has not been any
evidence that supports the claim that this variant has milder symptoms. All Covid-19
variants have more or less similar symptoms such as cough, runny nose, fever, and
shortness of breath depending on the conditions of each patient.
"Some people say
the typical symptoms of the Omicron variant are sore throat and weakness.
Actually, there is no research that proves this,” she said.
Why People Who Are Vaccinated Can Still Get Infected?
To answer this
question, Dr. Della explained that vaccines are useful for forming antibodies
that fight against the virus that infects one’s body. So far, all types or
brands of vaccines that have been recognized by WHO and given to the public
have proven effective against all types of variants of Covid-19.
“Can you still get
infected with Covid-19? Yes, you can. One point that must be understood clearly
is that the purpose of vaccination is to prevent severe symptoms when you get
infected especially for those with comorbidities, not to prevent the infection
in itself,” she concluded. []
