98.5 Percent of Indonesian Population Have SARS-CoV-2 Antibody: Serosurvey

TheIndonesia.co - The Indonesian Ministry of Health revealed that the proportion of Indonesians who have antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 has increased to 98.5 percent based on the results of a serological survey (serosurvey) in July 2022.

"Serosurvey results show an increase in the proportion of the population who have SARS-Cov-2 antibodies from 87.8 percent in December 2021 to 98.5 percent in July 2022," said Epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia Iwan Ariawan through a virtual press conference attended by Zoom in Jakarta, Thursday afternoon, August 11, 2022.

He said the serosurvey as a result of the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Pandemic Team of the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) of the University of Indonesia (UI) was the third time conducted nationally, after previously being rolled out in December 2021, March 2022. The third serosurvey was carried out by revisiting 84.5 percent of the total 20,501 samples selected in 2021 through questionnaires to antibody tests carried out in 100 cities/districts.

"From the map, respondents from the serosurvey are spread throughout Indonesia. This will describe the antibody levels of the population in Indonesia," he said.

Ariawan said antibody levels owned by 98.5 percent of Indonesia's population increased more than four times compared to December 2021 and July 2022. "The median antibody level increased from 444 units per mm, to 2,097 units per mm," he said.

On the same agenda, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia Pandu Riono said that the antibodies now owned by the public came from the government's COVID-19 vaccination program as well as natural antibodies obtained from the COVID-19 infection process. "The survey results indicate or support that the booster is very important," he said.

Riono said that the coverage of the first booster dose has only reached 28 percent. This figure is still far from the desired target of 50 percent. He encouraged the first booster dose vaccination coverage to be completed first, then continue the second booster vaccination for the general public.

"Let's not think about the second booster first, let's finish the first booster," he said.