339 COVID-19 patients detected

• 6,256 PCR tests conducted on Sunday
• Total patient count rises to 587,935, includes 483,410 from New Year cluster
• 11,967 persons under medical or home-based care
• Public urged to get vaccinated and adhere to safety guidelines given ‘Omicron’ spread

 

By Shailendree 

Wickrama Adittiya

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 case count rose to 587,935 with the detection of 339 COVID-19 patients yesterday.

The COVID-19 cases detected yesterday include 336 persons from the New Year cluster and three overseas arrivals. The Health Promotion Bureau states that 6,256 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.

The previous day, 8,744 PCR tests were conducted, and 351 COVID-19 patients were detected. This includes 347 persons from the New Year cluster and four Sri Lankan overseas arrivals.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 483,410 patients from the New Year cluster, 82,785 patients from the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,068 patients from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 patients from the Divulapitiya cluster have been detected.

The country’s imported cases include 7,032 Sri Lankan overseas returnees and 328 foreigners. Of the country’s total COVID-19 detections, 117,700 patients are from Colombo, 101,664 patients are from Gampaha, 53,897 patients are from Kalutara, 38,355 patients are from Galle, and 28,696 patients are from Kurunegala.

During the third wave of the pandemic, 85,403 persons from Colombo, 83,130 persons from Gampaha and 46,839 persons from Kalutara tested positive for COVID-19.

The country’s active patient count is 11,967 and this includes patients under medical care as well as those under home-based care. The Epidemiology Unit states that 1,697 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.

A total of 224 persons were released from care yesterday and the country’s COVID-19 recoveries have risen to 560,949.

Sharing emerging results from UK studies on the ‘Omicron’ variant, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara of the Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department yesterday tweeted: “The most important thing we can do to help reach a safe level of endemic COVID is to get vaccinated and continue to adhere to COVID-safe practices. By doing this, we protect ourselves, those around us, and move together towards an endemic phase of the virus.”

According to Dr. Jeewandara, UK studies show that the risk of hospital admission from emergency departments with Omicron was approximately one-third of that for Delta. He added that the risk of hospitalisation was lower for Omicron cases after the second and third vaccine doses.

Studies also show an 81% reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after three doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases.

“The risk of being admitted to a hospital for Omicron cases was 65% lower for those who had received two doses of a vaccine, compared with those who had not received any vaccination,” he added.

“Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease with the Omicron variant is significantly lower than compared to the Delta variant and wanes rapidly,” Dr. Jeewandara said, adding that these lower risks do not necessarily imply reduced hospital burden, given the higher growth rate and immune evasion observed with Omicron.

“It looks like COVID will become more prevalent among unvaccinated or those without prior exposure to the virus. This is what happens with common cold coronaviruses. This could be an early sign of COVID 19 becoming an endemic disease,” he went on to say.