Deadly virus in South claims 11 lives

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - A viral fever spreading across the Southern Province has claimed 11 lives so far. This is a News 1st special report on the situation. According to medical experts, the disease currently spreading in the province is caused by a combination of three viruses. They are,

1. The Influenza Virus
2. Adenovirus
3. Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV

Those under the age of three and over the age of 65 are easy prey for the disease. The first diagnosis of the disease was reported from the Karapitiya Hospital. Amal Wickremesinghe from the News 1^st group visited the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital today (May 28). According to him, the pediatric ICU at the Karapitiya Hospital is at capacity due to the viral fever spreading across the Southern Province. He added that the hospital sources say that the disease has claimed the lives of three children over the past 24 hours. Furthermore, it does not appear at this moment that the situation is under control, representatives of the Government Medical Officers Association said that patients who were scheduled to undergo surgeries are also staying at home due to the situation.