VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government spokesman for COVID-19 handling Achmad Yurianto has warned of an increased trend of asymptomatic persons (OTG) testing positive for the coronavirus.

"Initially, we defined the classical spread (of the virus) carried by people with symptoms of high body temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius, cough, and shortness of breath. But in its development, such condition has not become a specific symptom of COVID-19 infection," Yurianto said in a press conference held by the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling here on Sunday.

The government, he noted, has found more people tested positive for COVID-19 in a PCR test but showed only mild symptoms or sometimes with no symptoms.

OTGs would not show any symptoms such as fever and cough and they look healthy. If they appear in a crowd without masks, then they might transmit the virus to many people, including vulnerable groups.

"This has become one of the factors increasing the number of  COVID-19 cases in Indonesia," he stressed.

He called on the public to wear masks as self-protection, wash hands with soap frequently, restricting outdoor activities, and avoid crowds.

"This has become important because we never know who is the OTG out there, those who carry the virus, and did not show any symptoms," Yurianto said.

As of Sunday, the task force has recorded 14,032 positive cases of COVID-19 across the country, with 2,698 recoveries and 973 deaths. (ANTARA)