Omicron infection rampant among air travellers – CMLS

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Gene sequencing tests done on 300 COVID-19 positive air passengers to and from Sri Lanka, in the first two weeks of 2022, had revealed that 130 of them were infected with the Omicron variant, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday.

Kumudesh added that out of 182 gene sequencing tests on Sri Lankans, in the country, had revealed that the Covid-19 patients were infected with the Omicron variant.

CMLS President said that most of the air passengers who tested positive had arrived here, producing vaccination certificates and negative PCR test report. However, they were found to be COVID positive when they were tested five days after arriving in Sri Lanka.

“The Health Ministry has decided that passengers who are double jabbed don’t need to be tested. Thus, a number of passengers enter the country carryin coronavirus variants,” Kumudesh said.

 The Health Ministry had entrusted several government labs with the taks of gene sequencing. However, only the Sri Jayewardenepura University lab consistently tested samples, Kumudesh said.

“We can’t make scientific predictions because not enough data is available. However, the limited data available shows that about 25% of Sri Lankan COVID patients have the Omicron variant. Given that we virtually do nothing to control COVID, about 50% of patients will soon be those infected with Omicron,” he said.