While there is an ongoing COVID -19 pandemic situation, the Department of Virology at Teaching Hospital Karapitiya have investigated a limited number of patients for non-COVID Viral respiratory infections during 2021.
We have tested 22 samples for the last three months (from October- December 2021). Only Rhino/enterovirus and RSV A and RSV B positive samples were detected. Out of 22 tested samples, 12 were positive for Rhino/enterovirus. Ten samples were from Teaching Hospital Karapitiya and two from District General Hospital Matara. An infant was detected having Respiratory syncytial virus A and B co-infection during this period. None of the samples was positive for the influenza virus. Besides that, all the other samples (n=9) were negative for the respiratory panel.
However, continuous surveillance and monitoring are mandatory to observe changing patterns in respiratory infections.
