Colombo Uni, Health Ministry, MRI to expand gene sequencing

With new variants now spreading, they were looking to expand the sequencing in more labs in the coming weeks

The University of Colombo, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the MRI are looking to expand gene sequencing which allows the identification of the COVID-19 variation as the Delta variant is suspected to have spread in many areas, the Daily Mirror learns.

The University of Colombo team led by Professor Inoka C. Perera, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and MRI had already carried out gene sequencing in the past on 35 samples, which were obtained from Colombo, Gampaha and down South. However, with new variants now spreading, they were looking to expand the sequencing in more labs in the coming weeks.

The University of Sri Jayawardenapura was also doing gene sequencing and had detected that 75 percent of the samples taken during last week of July had tested positive for the Delta variant.

Health experts were continuing their operations round the clock as the situation had been predicted to take a new turn for the worst in the coming weeks.