Herd immunity: Indonesia is still far from that

To be able to form herd immunity from COVID-19 in Indonesia, it takes millions of people to be infected. That means threatening many lives. Experts believe that to let herd immunity naturally occurring is a dangerous choice.

How many humans in Indonesia must be infected to form herd immunity naturally?

Indonesia did not take the option herd immunity naturally

The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta is conducting a transitional period of easing the PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions) when the transmission rate is still occurring. This worries the possibility herd immunity for COVID-19.

Herd immunity or herd immunity is a condition in which a population is immune to infection with a disease. When enough people are immune to a disease, the chain of transmission becomes smaller and slows the transmission of the disease.

There are two ways to build immunity, namely by vaccination and by having been infected and recovered from the disease.

Padjadjaran University epidemiologist dr. Panji Hadisoemarto said herd immunity that is done without vaccination should not be done.

"It could have been formed quickly herd immunity if allowed and there is no prevention, but it is dangerous. Leaving lots of people infected to grow herd immunity could cause pain and death which could have been avoided, ”said dr. Panji told Hello Sehat some time ago.

Regarding this concern, the Indonesian government through the task force has also said it does not take an option herd immunity and is still at war to contain the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,012,350

Confirmed

820,356

Recovered

28,468

DeathDistribution Map

Indonesia and the world are still far from herd immunity for COVID-19

The proportion of people immune to a disease in order to maintain herd immunity varies from disease to disease. Measles needs more than 90 percent of people to be immune, while polio that is not very contagious takes more than 80 percent.

It is not yet known how many people must be immune to COVID-19. However, experts believe that to form herd immunity at least more than 60 percent of the population is immune.

In the projections made by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), the total population of Indonesia in 2020 is around 271 million. To form herd immunity , at least 162 million Indonesians (60% of the population) must be immune to COVID-19.

With the current number of infected patients and the absence of a COVID-19 vaccine, Indonesia is still far from herd immunity .

Even so, not only Indonesia, but in several cities around the world are still far from herd immunity .

According to data from the city of New York, USA, about 20 percent of their population already has antibodies to fight COVID-19. New York City has the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the US, where the US is the country with the highest transmission rates of COVID-19.

Most of the population in cities with high rates of COVID-19 infection are also still vulnerable to transmission. For example, the city of London with a rate of 17.5 percent and the city of Madrid with 11.3 percent.

Sweden is an example of a country that relies on herd immunity to fight COVID-19. The country allows people to have normal activities, open shops and public spaces.

However, the move did not put Sweden in the way herd immunity and instead hit them with a fairly high mortality rate.

Immunity to COVID-19 is still uncertain

COVID-19 patients who recover have not yet been confirmed to have built up an immune system that guarantees not to be infected a second time. A study at US National Library of Medicine stated that there is a risk of re-infection in COVID-19 patients who recover and have tested negative.

The study noted that on Monday (13/4) South Korea reported that 116 COVID-19 patients had recovered tested positive for the second time. Whereas before being discharged from the hospital, these patients had tested negative twice (consecutively).

Similar cases were reported in Japan. The woman in her 40s fell ill again and tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time.

From these cases, it is not certain whether the patient contracted the virus for the second time or the virus in the patient's body had not completely disappeared and reacted again.

If recovered patients do not become infected again, strategies are achieved herd immunity naturally can not be done.