Indian COVID-19 variant detected for the first time in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1st); A COVID-19 patient with Indian Variant was detected from a Quarantine facility in Sri Lanka for the first time, said Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura on Saturday (08).

"A person infected with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus, which is spreading in India, was reported from a quarantine center in Sri Lanka in a genetic sequencing test conducted on samples of COVID-19 cases," he told News 1st.

Dr. Chandima Jeewandara went on to note that samples containing both the Indian and South African variants were detected in tests and of these samples were from those who returned from overseas.

Dr. Chandima Jeewandara further stated that the infected person has been identified with the virus that is spreading in India from a virus sample sent to a private hospital in Colombo.

This is the second time in Sri Lanka that a person with the South African variant was detected in Sri Lanka, he said.