Sri Lanka identifies three new mutations of Delta Variant

Three new mutations of the Delta COVID-19 variant detected in Sri Lanka, State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana told Parliament today.

He made this revelation delivering a statement on the current pandemic situation in the country, during the parliamentary session earlier today.

“Spreading Delta variants had resulted in an increasing number of COVID Patients becoming oxygen dependent. These mutations have resulted in a spike of COVID cases during the past few days,” the state Minister said.

Prof. Jayasumana said SA222V, SA701S and SA1078S spike mutations were observed in the Delta variant cases found in the country and these mutations causes changes in the spike protein of the virus.

According to him, the Delta variant of concern is now dominant in the country, as confirmed by the researchers.

The Delta strain of COVID-19 has a transmissibility 60% - 70% higher than that of other variants and leads to exponential increase in the number of oxygen-dependent patients, the state minister continued.

“This variant can be one of the reasons for the rapid spread of infections in the country.”

Meanwhile  the secretary of the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Dr. Shenal Fernando said that the most dangerous threat that Sri Lanka may face is the potential for an emergence new severe COVID virus strain, that would by pass the immunity created by the current vaccination programme,

Therefore, it has become an essential procedure to provide the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Fernando asserted.

Dr. Fernando also said the decision to provide the third dose should be taken by an expert panel consisting of health experts.