Act now to rein-in fresh cluster
Experts urge a few measures including a short lockdown to catch all COVID-19 infections and stop their spread
It is still not too late. Sri Lanka can ‘rein-in’ the current COVID-19 time bomb and mute its fallout if appropriate action is taken right now.
This was the consensus among many experts including those in the health sector whom the Sunday Times spoke to, who were adamant that “now lowgrade community transmission has begun”. They offered valid measures to stem the tide of the latest COVID-19 cluster which mushroomed in Minuwangoda ( from October 4), without a source of infection being identified yet. (Please see map)
While commending the health authorities, the Tri-Forces, the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the police for the efforts put in ( implementing preventive health measures, diagnosing positive patients and treating them, quarantining those who have been exposed to the virus, contact tracing et al) since the start of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, here are their suggestions to stop the spread of the current Minuwangoda cluster:
A short (maybe 10-14 day) lockdown to ‘catch’ all infections and prevent the spread of the virus further. The cancellation of all public gatherings including public examinations. These sources said the argument of the health authorities that Sri Lanka held a general election safely does not hold sway in the current scenario, as in August the only active clusters were Kandakadu (restricted to those in the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre, its staff and those who had visited the centre) and the returnees who were in quarantine. Ramping up random RT-PCR testing but balancing it to ensure that Sri Lanka has adequate stocks if there is a crisis. Decriminalizing and dispelling the stigma surrounding COVID-19 which makes people reluctant to go in for testing as well as quarantining. This will prevent people running away and being sources of infection. Underscoring that the new coronavirus is an “unseen” enemy, many also reiterated that it is no respecter of persons (from gung-ho American President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to top celebrities and humble folk).
“We are not safe until a vaccine is found and we gain access to it,” said a senior health source, a view echoed by many, urging that Sri Lanka should not be under the false and dangerous presumption that the country has “jayagaththa” (won) over COVID-19.
COVID-19 is not a thing of the past. It is very much a ticking bomb of the present and also the future, many kept repeating, while urging that letting down the guard would bring disastrous consequences.
“The Minuwangoda cluster is different to all earlier clusters which were restricted to certain areas. There are no miracles in medicine – but following basic tested scientific thinking,” said a source.
Some experts gave their views on how the Minuwangoda cluster could have erupted: The Minuwangoda factory workers could have got exposed to the COVID-19 virus by interacting with a returnee from abroad (either Sri Lankan or foreign) before their 28-day quarantining period was over. The Minuwangoda factory workers may have got exposed to those infected in the last cluster in the country – the Kandakadu & Senapura cluster – which is now abating. The Minuwangoda factory workers may have got exposed to the virus because it is already in the community.
With the urgency of finding the source of infection of the Minuwangoda cluster, some sources, however, argued that if there was community transmission in Sri Lanka and that was the unseen root of the latest c l u s t e r, the manifestation of a community spread would have come earlier. Such a manifestation of the community spread would have sent the elderly who are at high- risk in large numbers to hospitals and been evidenced by high morbidity ( disease) and mortality ( death) from COVID-19.