'Airborne' and 'highly transmissible' COVID-19 strain discovered in Sri Lanka

A new coronavirus strain that is airborne and more potent than all those found previously has been discovered in Sri Lanka. Neelika Malavige, Professor from the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura told reporters at the Government Information Department that the new variant is behaving completely different from the variant detected in the first and second COVID-19 waves in the country. She further added that the new variant will be announced in the next few days.

New coronavirus strain in Sri Lanka

Malavige said that the new variant is highly transmissible and can remain airborne for nearly an hour and is spreading fast. She warned that one person infected with the new variant has the possibility of infecting another 5 to 6 people as opposed to what happened with the previous variant. She advised people to wear the mask and follow COVID-19 protocols to curb the spread of the virus.

"This variant of coronavirus is more highly transmissible than all found so far in the island. The new strain is airborne, the droplets can remain airborne for nearly an hour," she said.

Sri Lanka Health authorities have raised concern over the new variant spreading rapidly after last week's New Year celebrations. The health authorities further said that more younger people are getting infected with the virus. The health department has issued new guidelines for people to prevent the spread of the virus. Upul Rohana, Public Health Inspector said that the real situation would emerge only in the coming two-three weeks.

"In the next two incubation periods, the disease can progress to a third wave", said Upul Rohana.

Sri Lanka is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases, with the current figure standing at 99,691 cases and 638 deaths due to the disease. The country is reporting over 600 COVID-19 cases a day. Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena has assured that hospitals in the country still have enough ICU capacity to treat COVID-19 patients but people should follow COVID-19 guidelines to prevent the virus.

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(Inputs from PTI)