News
Docs urge public to get jabbed as Covid spreads fast
By Chaminda Silva
Warning that the omicron variant of coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the country, medical professionals have urged the public to get vaccinated.College of Internal Medicine President and Colombo National Hospital (NHSL) Physician Dr Harsha Satischandra said that there were 325 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at the NHSL and of them 75 patients were on oxygen support.
Dr. Satischandra said that the majority of patients dependent on intensive care were not fully vaccinated; they had received either one or two doses each.”Sri Lanka has 2.8 million persons over 60 years. Of them, only 1.5 million have received the booster dose. That is 1.3 million persons over 60 years are not fully vaccinated,” Dr Satischandra said.
Sri Lanka Medical Association, Vice President and paediatrician, Dr Surantha Perera said that measures like a lockdown or closing of schools were not practical and it was the vaccine that helped control the spread of COVID-19 effectively. He said that there was a drop in the number of persons in the 16-19 age group getting vaccinated. “This could be due to the ongoing A/L examinations. However, students can get vaccinated after the examination. It was with great difficulty that we reopened schools.”
Dr Perera said that 1.3 million persons between 16 to 19 years had received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and administration of the second dose for this age group had begun. Discussions were also being held on the second dose for children between 12 and 15 years.
Medical Research Institute Consultant Immunologist Dr Rajiva de Silva said that protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines against the BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages of Omicron were the same.”Omicron has divided into BA.1 and BA.2. BA.2, which has been detected in the country as well as other countries, is 50% more transmissible than BA.1. However, it is said that BA.2 is not as severe as BA.1,” Dr de Silva said.