Researchers in Sri Lanka on Friday detected a new sub-lineage of the Delta variant of Covid-19. This is the third mutation of the coronavirus which originated in the island nation, news agency PTI reported. The health officials have named the variant B.1.617.2. AY 104.
Sri Lankan health authorities are yet to ascertain the transmissibility of sub-lineage and have sent the sample to laboratories in Hong Kong for further analysis. Researchers at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura were the first to detect the sub-lineage AY-104.
The university’s director of molecular and cell biology department, Dr Chandima Jeewadara, said that AY-104 took the total number of variants originating from Sri Lanka to three.
“The first one was B.411, which is a lineage of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus, the second was B.1.617.2. AY 28 and this is the third one (B.1.617.2. AY 104,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant is highly transmissible and was responsible for the rapid uptick in coronavirus cases across the globe, even in populations with higher rates of vaccination.
Jeewadara said the new variant was detected in north, north-central and southern provinces of the state while further adding that other strains were detected in western province and capital Colombo. He further added that 288 samples were confirmed for AY 104 while 479 tested positive for the AY 28 variant. The AY 104 variant was found after tests were conducted on random samples.
{{/usCountry}}Jeewadara said the new variant was detected in north, north-central and southern provinces of the state while further adding that other strains were detected in western province and capital Colombo. He further added that 288 samples were confirmed for AY 104 while 479 tested positive for the AY 28 variant. The AY 104 variant was found after tests were conducted on random samples.
{{/usCountry}}Sri Lankan health authorities are monitoring fresh Covid-19 clusters in the nation's north central and southern provinces. They have attributed it to people flouting Covid-19 guidelines during social functions. Sri Lanka’s health minister Keheliya Rambukwella said over 75% of the 16 years of age and 61.8% of the total population received both doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Over 160,000 Sri Lankans over 60 years have also received the Pfizer-BioNTech jab as a third or booster dose as of Friday.