Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Antibodies to COVID-19 formed in the Indonesian society rose to 99.2 percent ahead of Eid al-Fitr in May 2022, said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

This figure means that 99.2 percent of the total population of Indonesia already has antibodies, either obtained from vaccinations or infections of COVID-19, the health minister said in an online press statement here on Monday (Apr. 18).

The increase in antibodies, he added, was known from a sero survey conducted by the Ministry of Health together with the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia (UI). Previously, in December 2021 antibody levels reached 86.6 percent.

A sero survey examines how many people in a population have been infected with COVID-19 and recovered from the disease. This is done to measure the prevalence of the virus in a particular area.

The second sero survey was conducted because the government wanted to measure the community's antibody levels before entering the Eid al-Fitr holidays. The results of this survey also serve as the right research base for policy making.

Budi Gunadi explained that in the sero survey in December 2021, antibody titers were recorded at 500-600, while in March this year, the figure reached 7,000-8,000.

The sero survey also shows that many Indonesians do not only have antibodies, but also have high antibody levels, he added.

With this result, the Minister of Health emphasized that the government is optimistic that this year's homecoming activities are expected to run smoothly and would not give any negative impact to the community.

Reporting by Indonesia Window