Recent COVID-19 deaths confirm need for repeated testing - GMOA
November 5, 2020 06:50 pm
Sri Lanka has reached a critical juncture with regard to the number of COVID-19 related deaths as well as the spread of the virus, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) says.
Speaking to media, the Editor of GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, pointed out that while there were only 13 deaths reported within the first 9 months of the outbreak while last 11 deaths have been reported within a period of 2 weeks.
“Some of the deaths that we determine to be COVID-19 related are only identified during the postmortem. It means some have died in their own homes. This must be given our special attention.”
Dr. Aluthge said that these deaths emphasize the need for repeated testing as most had tested negative for COVID-19 infection only to test positive during the postmortem.
He further pointed out that most of the victims had been elderly people.
“This shows that they did not contract this disease by going into society. The virus had entered their homes. As the public, we have a great responsibility to ensure the safety of the risk groups.”
