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The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Covid surge in Asia sparks concern about emergence of more infectious variants
India, Thailand, Indonesia, and several other countries in Asia have seen a surge in Covid cases since mid-May, sparking concerns about the emergence of more infectious variants of the novel coronavirus. India, which currently has more than 5,700 active Covid cases, reported four deaths from the infection over the last 24 hours. Although hospitalisations due to Covid remain low, India's health ministry is urging the public to remain careful, get tested quickly when symptoms appear, and continue to use masks in crowded spaces. In Thailand, hundreds of Covid patients have required hospitalisation since the beginning of June, while at least one has succumbed to the virus. The country reported 28,300 cases over just the first two days of this month, with the Bangkok metropolitan area accounting for the bulk of them. According to the Department of Disease Control, at least 70 people have died from Covid in the Southeast Asian country so far in 2025, mostly in large cities. The death rate has hovered around 0.106 per 100,000 people, suggesting the virus has not become deadlier. Indonesia has advised its healthcare institutions to remain vigilant and boost Covid surveillance amid a surge in infections attributed to new highly transmissible but less deadly variants of the coronavirus. "Cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly,' health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told reporters earlier this week. Health authorities are monitoring Omicron subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 for driving the ongoing surge in infections in Asia. These strains are not yet labelled as variants of concern but are only suspected to be causing an increase in Covid cases. The NB.1.8.1 subvariant has previously been reported in Thailand, Australia, China, Britain and the US. It's already known to be a recombinant virus formed from the merging of two coronavirus variants. Lara Herrero, a virologist from Griffith University in Australia, suspects that NB.1.8.1 spread more easily than other variants. Studies of the variant on cultured laboratory tissues reveal that the new strain has the strongest ability to bind to human cell receptors, facilitating its entry into cells. 'Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested, suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains,' Dr Herrero wrote last month in The Conversation. Fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, and gut discomfort are widely reported to be the main symptoms of infection by the new strains. According to the World Health Organisation, current Covid vaccines should protect against severe symptoms caused by the newly reported variants. In India, though, nearly 50 per cent of the new infections are still caused by the older JN.1 strain, according to data from the country's SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium. Most people who get infected experience only mild symptoms that disappear on their own or with over-the-counter drugs such as cough medicines, analgesics and decongestants. However, vulnerable groups such as the elderly or those with comorbid conditions are being urged to seek hospital care if symptoms appear. Healthcare experts urge infected individuals experiencing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue or blood oxygen levels below 95 per cent to immediately seek medical attention.
Barnama
5 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Indonesia Banks On Tech In US$240 Bln Healthcare Overhaul
By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, June 5 (Bernama) -- Indonesia expects its healthcare spending to hit US$240 billion over the next five years, with approximately one-third allocated to procuring medical equipment and developing health technology. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Indonesia would need an additional US$84 billion over five years - about three times its current healthcare budget - to match healthcare service standards comparable to neighbouring Malaysia. bootstrap slideshow 'This is the right time to act. Let us build a resilient and modern Indonesian healthcare system together,' he said in a statement on Thursday, emphasising the need for technology-driven solutions to ensure the system remains robust and responsive. The Health Ministry said Indonesia is undergoing a critical healthcare transformation, with medical technology such as the PCSK9 inhibitor - a next-generation cholesterol-lowering injection - playing a key role in building a resilient and sustainable system amid fiscal constraints. Budi Gunadi said the drug would be rolled out to 500 hospitals nationwide, providing a more efficient alternative to traditional therapies that require daily administration. "The PCSK9 drug is a game-changer, and just one example of the many medical innovations we can adopt,' he said. -- BERNAMA
Arab News
6 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Indonesia's health ministry issues warning over COVID-19 surge in Asia
JAKARTA: Indonesia's government has urged healthcare facilities to step up COVID-19 surveillance, as a more transmissible omicron subvariant drives a surge in cases across Asia. Parts of Asia have been reporting a new wave of infections since last month, especially Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The new spread of the coronavirus that brought the world to a standstill a few years ago has been linked to JN.1, a highly transmissible variant of the omicron strain of COVID-19. It emerged in late 2023 and spread globally through early 2024, becoming one of the dominant variants in many countries. Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin met with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday to report on the country's COVID-19 situation. 'Cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly,' Sadikin told reporters after the meeting. His statement comes after Indonesia's Health Ministry issued a circular last week instructing regional agencies, hospitals, community centers and other medical service facilities across the country to monitor case trends and report unusual conditions. Health quarantine facilities are also instructed to 'step up surveillance on people, transportation and items coming from abroad, especially those from countries that are reporting surges in COVID-19 cases,' the circular stated. Indonesia has confirmed 72 COVID-19 cases and reported no deaths in 2025, the latest data from the Health Ministry showed. The caseload was at seven from last week alone, with the positive rate declining to 2.05 percent from a peak of 3.62 percent the previous week. Indonesia was among the hardest-hit countries in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a cumulative death toll of around 162,000, it has the second-highest number in the region, after 533,000 recorded in India.
The Star
6 days ago
- General
- The Star
Indonesia issues warning over Covid-19 surge in Asia
JAKARTA: Indonesia's health ministry has urged healthcare facilities to stay alert and increase surveillance of Covid-19 amid a surge in cases caused by a more transmissible but less deadly Omicron sub-variant in several countries across Asia. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin met with President Prabowo Subianto to discuss the rising number of Covid-19 cases across Asia on Tuesday (June 3). Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said that 'cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly'. His statement came after his ministry issued a circular last week to warn healthcare facilities to stay alert after a rising Covid-19 trend in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, largely driven by the more transmissible but less severe Omicron subvariant JN.1. The circular instructed regional health agencies, hospitals, community health centres (Puskesmas) and other health service facilities across the country to monitor case trends through routine surveillance, report any unusual occurrences and raise public awareness about the need for vigilance. According to the latest data from the Health Ministry on June 3, Indonesia reported seven confirmed cases last week with the positive rate declining to 2.05 per cent from a peak of 3.62 per cent the previous week. Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman of Griffith University in Australia said the warning should be taken seriously by the broader public. 'This is a good measure as an early warning to create awareness,' he told The Jakarta Post on June 3. He said while it would no longer become a pandemic since mass vaccination has built herd immunity among the Indonesian population, he urged people to maintain caution. 'We must maintain the clean and healthy habits that were developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as regularly wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining physical distance, adopting a healthy lifestyle and ensuring proper air circulation.' Dr Dicky also suggested that the government heighten its alert systems, especially in vulnerable areas with large elderly populations. Dr Masdalina Pane of the Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) predicted that the newest sub-variant JN.1 has likely already entered Indonesia, but the surveillance system has been unable to detect it in real time. 'Unfortunately, it is not easy to identify suspects at ports and airports,' she said, suggesting that the government should focus on travellers from affected countries instead. 'Governments can also implement random rapid diagnostic checks based on certain criteria while considering ethical aspects,' she added. Among the hardest-hit nations in the current wave is Thailand, which reported over 65,000 cases and three deaths in the last week of May, according to The Nation. But Thai Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on June 2 that the outbreak in the country has already passed its peak and was expected to ease. Hong Kong saw a downward trend in its positive rate from 13.6 per cent in the week of May 11 to 17 to 11.22 per cent in the following week, although its health department still warned that case levels might remain high in upcoming months. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Indonesia's health ministry issues warning over Covid-19 surge in Asia
According to the latest data from the Health Ministry on June 3, Indonesia reported seven confirmed cases last week. PHOTO: EPA-EFE JAKARTA - Indonesia's health ministry has urged healthcare facilities to stay alert and increase surveillance of Covid-19 amid a surge in cases caused by a more transmissible but less deadly Omicron sub-variant in several countries across Asia. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin met with President Prabowo Subianto to discuss the rising number of Covid-19 cases across Asia on June 3. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said that 'cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly'. His statement came after his ministry issued a circular last week to warn healthcare facilities to stay alert after a rising Covid-19 trend in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, largely driven by the more transmissible but less severe Omicron subvariant JN.1. The circular instructed regional health agencies, hospitals, community health centres (Puskesmas) and other health service facilities across the country to monitor case trends through routine surveillance, report any unusual occurrences and raise public awareness about the need for vigilance. According to the latest data from the Health Ministry on June 3, Indonesia reported seven confirmed cases last week with the positive rate declining to 2.05 per cent from a peak of 3.62 percent the previous week. Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman of Griffith University in Australia said the warning should be taken seriously by the broader public. 'This is a good measure as an early warning to create awareness,' he told The Jakarta Post on June 3. He said while it would no longer become a pandemic since mass vaccination has built herd immunity among the Indonesian population, he urged people to maintain caution. 'We must maintain the clean and healthy habits that were developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as regularly wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining physical distance, adopting a healthy lifestyle and ensuring proper air circulation.' Dr Dicky also suggested that the government heighten its alert systems, especially in vulnerable areas with large elderly populations. Dr Masdalina Pane of the Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) predicted that the newest sub-variant JN.1 has likely already entered Indonesia, but the surveillance system has been unable to detect it in real time. 'Unfortunately, it is not easy to identify suspects at ports and airports,' she said, suggesting that the government should focus on travellers from affected countries instead. 'Governments can also implement random rapid diagnostic checks based on certain criteria while considering ethical aspects,' she added. Among the hardest-hit nations in the current wave is Thailand, which reported over 65,000 cases and three deaths in the last week of May, according to The Nation. But Thai Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on June 2 that the outbreak in the country has already passed its peak and was expected to ease. Hong Kong saw a downward trend in its positive rate from 13.6 per cent in the week of May 11 to 17 to 11.22 per cent in the following week, although its health department still warned that case levels might remain high in upcoming months. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
