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Delta goes viral in community 

15 Jul 2021

 
  • 19 more patients from Colombo, Jaffna, Kilinochchi 
  • National total 43 so far 
  BY Buddhika Samaraweera and Pamodi Waravita Another 19 patients have been found to be infected with the B.1.617.2 Delta Indian variant of Covid-19, according to the Health Ministry. Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath had told media yesterday (15) that the said 19 cases had been reported from the Colombo, Jaffna, and Kilinochchi Districts. When contacted by The Morning, Sri Jayewardenepura University Allergy, Immunology, and Cell Biology Unit Director Dr. Chandima Jeewandara confirmed the identification of another 19 patients infected with the Delta variant. Dr. Herath on 13 June confirmed that 24 patients infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19 had been detected in Sri Lanka thus far. “Of them, 14 patients were detected first, and thereafter 10 others were detected,” he told The Morning. Accordingly, the detection of 19 more patients has brought the total of Delta variant infections to 43. The Delta variant of Covid-19, which is said to be 50% more transmissible than the currently spreading B.1.1.7 Alpha UK variant, was detected for the first time in Sri Lanka from a community sample on 17 June. According to Dr. Jeewandara, the variant had first been detected among five community samples obtained from the Dematagoda area in Colombo.


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