Sri Lanka on alert for possible COVID ‘super strain’
As new cases top 4000 for the 3rd consecutive day
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka is on alert for a possible COVID ‘super strain’ which could combine existing strains, health authorities said, as the daily infection count topped the 4000-mark for the 3rd consecutive day with 4446 new cases reported on Tuesday (24).
Health authorities said they are aware of the threat of the Covid super strain emerging in the country, and re-emphasized the best way to remain protected is to ensure both doses of the vaccine are taken and health guidelines are strictly adhered to.
Swissinfo earlier this week reported that a researcher at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, had warned of the possible emergence of a new ‘super variant’ of the coronavirus that could combine existing strains. His concerns were echoed by immunologist Sai Reddy who is quoted SonntagsBlick newspaper as saying, “It is very likely that a new variant will emerge and that we will no longer be able to rely on vaccinations alone.”
Reddy who works as an associate professor at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of the federal technology institute ETH Zurich in Basel, had warned, such a new variant would definitely reach Switzerland, noting recent scientific findings show that the viral load of the Delta variant is so high that any unvaccinated person who contracts it can become a “super-spreader”.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Covid-spike continued to gather momentum, with the Director-General of Health Services confirming 4446 new cases on Tuesday, tacking Sri Lanka’s virus count to 398,81, with 44,474 active cases receiving medical care at hospitals, treatment centres, and homes. Tuesday also saw 190 deaths being recorded, taking the fatality count to 7,750.
CG/ENCL