VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Research and Technology (Menristek) Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said that the D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus type that causes Covid-19 will not interfere with efforts to develop a vaccine to ward off the disease.

"The effect of D614G, in essence, will not interfere with vaccine development efforts because this mutation does not cause changes in the structure or function of the RBD, the receptor-binding domain, which is part of the spike virus that is the target of the vaccine," said Bambang at the Covid-19 Task Force virtual press conference, in Jakarta, Wednesday.

"So, it means that efforts to develop the Red and White vaccine and other vaccines will not be disturbed by the presence of this D614G mutation," he added.

Head of the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology Amin Soebandrio said that mutations cause changes in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but did not interfere with the RBD virus that was the target of the vaccine.

"Changes caused by this mutation, however, occur in spike proteins but at different locations so that the receptor-binding domain is not disturbed and as long as the vaccine is aimed at RBD, it will not interfere with the performance of the vaccine," he said.

Bambang reminded the public not to over-panic because of information about the mutations that occur in the coronavirus, but to remain vigilant with discipline in implementing health protocols to prevent transmission of COVID-19. (Antaranews)