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Omicron patients: No fatalities reported so far: Dr. Hemantha Herath

18 Dec 2021

  • No infected person has slipped through the airport: DGHS
By Aazam Ameen The four patients infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Covid-19 variant of concern (VOC) in Sri Lanka are reasonably healthy, The Sunday Morning learns. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Health Deputy Director General of Public Health Services (DDG) Dr. Hemantha Herath said that these patients were initially admitted to hospitals for symptoms unrelated to Covid-19. Addressing a press conference, Director General Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena denied reports that an Omicron-infected patient detected in Sri Lanka had left the island. “The foreigner is being treated at a designated treatment centre. Media reports that the patient has left the country is inaccurate. Any person who receives a positive report for a pre-departure PCR test is not allowed to board any aircraft or leave the airport,” Dr. Gunawardena said, explaining that the gene sequencing test used to identify the new variant takes two weeks to deliver reports. He urged the public to get the booster vaccine as a matter of priority. “All Omicron patients detected in the country are virtually healthy. They were admitted to hospitals for other reasons unrelated to Covid-19. For example, one patient was admitted for wheezing. After a PCR test was done this patient was found to be Covid-19 positive. After the respective sample was sequenced, we learnt that the patient was infected with the Omicron variant,”  Dr. Gunawardena said. Dr. Herath also explained that because Omicron numbers in the country are detected via sequencing runs of PCR samples, the figure of four active cases in the country is open to question. “Because these cases are detected through sampling, the numbers are not valid. We have detected a total of four cases so far by sequencing between 400-500 samples. Therefore, there could definitely be more Omicron patients who have not been detected yet,” he added.  


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