‘Almost half’ of Jakarta residents have antibodies to COVID-19, indicating greater spread than reported

The results of an Indonesian health survey indicate that nearly half of Jakarta’s total population – 4.7 million out of a population of 10.6 million – have antibodies against COVID-19.

The serological survey, which tested for antibodies in the blood among residents of the capital, showed that 44.5% of Jakarta residents tested positive for the SARS Cov-2 virus as of March this year.

However, of the estimated number of infected residents, only 8.1% were actually confirmed. The rest were either undetected or had no symptoms.

The study comes after the deadliest week of the pandemic in Indonesia, with national deaths hovering around 1,000 per day and around 38,000 infections daily.

The results are further proof that Jakarta’s official COVID-19 figures are grossly underestimated.

Since March 2020, Jakarta recorded a total of 662,442 confirmed infections, a fraction of the number shown in the survey.

Indeed, the number of confirmed infections has almost doubled, even since the investigation was completed at the end of March.

This suggests that the number of people with antibodies could arguably include the majority of the population.

The serological survey was carried out through a collaboration between various health organizations, including the Jakarta Provincial Health Office, the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Indonesia and the Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology. .

“Through this survey, we can estimate the proportion of Jakarta residents who have been infected with the SARS CoV-2 virus, whether identified / confirmed by PCR testing or not,” said Widyastuti, head of the Jakarta Provincial Health Bureau, which like many Indonesians have only one name.

COVID-19 infections higher in women

“We can also have a more complete picture of the pandemic situation in Jakarta. So the management and control strategies can also be adjusted,” he said at an online press conference.

The researchers tested nearly 5,000 people aged one year or older, in more than 100 urban villages in six districts of Jakarta.

They say the results indicate that 4,717,000 people – 44.5% of Jakarta’s total population – had already been infected at some point with COVID-19.

The largest group infected were those aged 30 to 49, although infections were found in all age groups.

Infection rates were higher in women than in men.

Unmarried people had a lower risk of infection.

And there were higher risk factors for people who were overweight or living in slums in Jakarta.

“People in densely populated areas are more susceptible to infection with COVID-19,” said Dr Pandu Riono from the Faculty of Public Health at the University of Indonesia.

“The higher the body mass index, the more infections there are, in this case overweight and obese. People with high blood sugar are also at greater risk,” he said.

Survey results show that only 37% of those infected in Jakarta experienced symptoms. Almost two-thirds were asymptomatic.

Dr Pandu Riono said the investigation also showed that the pandemic could become endemic – where the disease becomes more or less permanent in a given area.

The results also showed that collective immunity would be more difficult to achieve in Jakarta, due to the demographic makeup of the city.

“Communal immunity in Jakarta will be more difficult to obtain because Jakarta is an open city with high intra and interregional mobility,” he said.

“Therefore, all active residents in Jakarta, whether residents or migrants, must [be vaccinated so they can] overcome all variants of the virus. “

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“Our homework is not finished”

Although vaccination may reduce the risk of hospitalization or death, it would not completely stop the transmission of the virus, he added.

In recent weeks, as the highly transmissible delta variant of the virus swept the country, Indonesia has dramatically increased the vaccination rate.

Earlier this month, he hit a goal of one million doses per day. Children aged 12 to 17 are now also eligible for vaccination.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said 50% of Jakarta residents need to be vaccinated to boost herd immunity and control its transmission.

“Our homework is not finished,” he said.

Indonesia received its first shipment of Moderna vaccine on Saturday, donated by the United States, which will be used only to give a third booster to frontline health workers.

The government has also pledged to increase the testing and tracing rate, as infection rates continue to rise.

At the national level more than 2.5 million people have been infected in Indonesia, and there have been more than 66,000 deaths.

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