Popular celebrity/influencer Raffi Ahmad, who was among the first people to receive COVID-19 jabs in Indonesia, claimed that he only had mild symptoms for a couple of days when he contracted the viral disease — all thanks to the vaccine.
In an interview with MC/fashion designer Ivan Gunawan uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday, the 34-year-old celebrity revealed for the first time that he had tested positive for the coronavirus sometime ago.
“I was [COVID-19] positive, for real. But it was weird, only for a day,” Raffi told Ivan, adding that he only experienced “a little bit of coughing, and no fever.”
“Maybe because I’m vaccinated, [I’ve had] two jabs, so my antibodies are strong.”
Raffi also shared how his doctor told him that he had sufficient vitamin D in his body.
While he had COVID, Raffi said he isolated away from his family in a separate home, noting that his wife Nagita Slavina is pregnant with their second child. During the interview, he shared how he stopped his usual activities for about three weeks.
On why he didn’t share his diagnosis with the public at the time, Raffi mentioned how Indonesian celebrities who got sick with COVID have been targeted and accused by conspiracy theorists of “being endorsed” by the viral disease.
“That’s why I was like, alright, I should keep quiet.”
It’s more likely that Raffi’s “one-day only” claim was in reference to his overall asymptomatic condition, something that the Health Ministry has also pointed out after the now-viral interview.
“Maybe what [Raffi] meant by recovering [from COVID-19 in 1-2 days] was that he didn’t feel any symptoms,” the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 vaccination spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said yesterday.
“Symptoms on people who are vaccinated can subside faster because of the protective effect from the vaccine.”
In addition, Nadia also reminded the public that patients bearing no or mild symptoms should isolate themselves for about 10 to 14 days.
In sharing his story, Raffi may have inadvertently become a champion for the COVID-19 and its protective benefits. This may just make up for the irresponsible way he attended a party after being afforded the privilege of being among the very first Indonesians to get the jab earlier this year.
