Don't Expect a Covid-19 Vaccine Anytime Soon: Indonesia’s Erick Thohir

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir advised the public to adjust to the new normal as a Covid-19 vaccine is not likely to be discovered in the short term.

“From what I see, a Covid-19 vaccine won’t be discovered within a short-term period, but I hope I am wrong. If it turns out that a Covid-19 vaccine is found by the end of this year and it can be produced, then we would have a solution next year,” said Erick on July 9.

This calls for the public to do their part in slowing the spread of the virus, he said, adding that the world is still facing many uncertainties with the coronavirus pandemic. Advanced economies are also facing their own battles in mitigating the Covid-19 virus.

Read also: Indonesia Eyes Local Covid-19 Vaccine Mass Production by Mid-2021

“A lot of large countries like the United States saw three million new Covid-19 cases yesterday. The number of those that died, I believe, is in the hundreds of thousands,” said Erick.

“Brazil whose president, which I don’t mean anything by this... He refused to wear a mask, not social distance and he was infected [by the Covid-19 virus] yesterday,” siad Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprises Minister.

From a business outlook angle, Erick Thohir does not see an economic recovery happening anytime soon, either.

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“Ladies and gentlemen, our economy until the end of this year will likely see a business recovery of 40 to 50 percent. Next year, it will reach around 75 percent. Around the first quarter of 2022 we can expect business recovery to reach 100 percent as in 2019,” said Erick.

Eucalyptus agent

While a Covid-19 vaccine is still in the works, Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture recently introduced its eucalyptus-based, anti-coronavirus product line.

The use and finding of eucalyptus is the Indonesian government’s response to mitigate the Covid-19 virus as mentioned by Fadjry Djufry, Head of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Research and Development Agency.

Read also: Indonesian Agriculture Ministry Upbeat on Its Anti-Coronavirus Eucalyptus Products

Fadjry stressed that the eucalyptus-based products are not a vaccine nor an oral medication. Based on the agency’s research, eucalyptus is often used to soothe breathing airways, reduce nausea, prevent oral infection, and rid the body of pain.

The essential oil used in the agriculture ministry’s product that is based on eucalyptus citridora can be used as an antivirus solution.