Jakarta (ANTARA) - The XBB and BQ.1 sub-variants of Omicron are now the dominant COVID-19 variants in Indonesia, the Ministry of Health has said.
"If previously, BA.5 was the most dominant one in Indonesia, it has shifted," spokesperson for the ministry Mohammad Syahril informed at a media briefing that was followed online on Friday.
According to him, the shift in the dominant variant of COVID-19 started from October 10, 2022, until the end of November. The ministry data showed that currently, XBB and BQ.1 account for 90 percent of COVID-19 cases, and BA.5 the remaining 10 percent.
Syahril said that because the two variants have the potential to infect people faster, the community must stay alert, especially in welcoming the Christmas and New Year holidays.
He appealed to all parties to promptly complete their COVID-19 vaccinations to improve the level of antibodies against the virus. Based on the ministry's records, in the period from October 4 to November 21, the number of patients with moderate, severe, and critical symptoms reached 17,442.
Of the number, 39 percent had not been vaccinated, 7 percent had only received the first dose, 25 percent had taken the second dose, and 29 percent had obtained the booster dose.
During the same period, the number of fatalities reached 2,449. Forty-eight percent of the people who died of COVID-19 had not been vaccinated at all, while 8 percent had received the first dose, 26 percent had taken the second dose, and 18 percent had obtained the booster dose.
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He added that 40–50 percent of COVID-19 patients who died in hospitals were not fully vaccinated. The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of December 2, the nation has recorded 6,674,000 COVID-19 cases, 6,458,238 recoveries, and 159,921 deaths.
