Features

Covid may be back … but there is no need to panic

Published

12 months ago

2025/06/9

by Dr B. J. C. Perera
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lond), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony. FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

There is evidence from many parts of the world that COVID is probably rising its ugly head again. If we ever thought it had gone away forever, it is, of course, only wishful thinking. Different strains with somewhat different presentations have been reported from several countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in February this year, warned the world that the disease is resurgent in many areas of the world. Perhaps it has undergone some genetic change and come out in a different format, shrouded in a different skin, so to speak. This article is not written to look at the variegated scientific medical aspects of the problem, but to provide down-to-earth information on how to respond adequately to the current situation and possible future developments. It is certainly not written as a proclamation by a Prophet of Doom but as a doctor with wide experience.

The likely emerging situation should ring some alarm bells and initiate the necessary processes and activities to allow us to be prepared; perhaps quite a bit better than the last time when the dastardly bug hit us with all its guns firing. As for the local scenario, a Paediatrician colleague of mine, whose contribution has been acknowledged at the end of this article, had some interesting and thoughtful speculations. He believes that there is a distinct possibility that there might be quite a bit of COVID infections in Sri Lanka at present. He suggests that in at least the Western Province, where dengue, influenza and chikungunya are reasonably common, when patients with fever are tested negative for these viral infections, we have to seriously consider COVID infections. He further elucidates that a presumed viral fever that does not show a ‘settling trend’ by three to four days may well be due to COVID. He suggests that around five to 15 percent of suspected viral fevers that do not test positive for dengue, influenza and chikungunya when tested within the sensitive window, but who still have significant respiratory symptoms, even if they are mild, may be due to COVID. He further suggests that this percentage may be growing slowly and imperceptibly. We need to take all these considerations very seriously if we are to arm ourselves with the necessary ways and means of dealing with a possible tricky situation.

The brute may be back; disappointingly so, of course. BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC. It is essential to raise public awareness that IT MAY BE BACK. There is nothing to be gained by subtle denial or building it up like a catastrophe beyond all possible levels. The key to progress is to assume that there are cases of COVID around at present. More than anything else, we also need accurate estimates of the occurrence and spread of the disease. It is incumbent on health authorities to mount a concerted effort on very close surveillance of all aspects of the disease. This would involve increased testing using Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, as well as genetic sequencing procedures of isolated strains of the virus. It is also absolutely essential that adequate surveillance measures are employed at all ports of entry into the country, such as the harbours and airports.

We have to urge the public to undertake proper ‘RESPIRATORY ETIQUETTE’, especially in coughing. Steps need to be taken to cover the nose and mouth properly during coughing to minimise the forceful release of possibly contaminated projected breath into the open air. This step in taking adequate steps in coughing is not really a panic response, but a proven preventive measure which is beneficial to all around.

Wearing a mask when going about and generally avoiding crowds are proven measures of prevention that could be undertaken by all citizens. It is time to get back to these basic measures if we are to avoid getting back into the mire of a pandemic. These steps need to be taken by the people voluntarily and not through coercion. It should be a compelling gesture of social responsibility to do this. Healthcare workers, too, should receive explicit instructions on the clear need to undertake proven safety precautions, as well as adequate and proper behaviour while attending to patients. These are very well known but need to be reiterated continuously and their importance stressed repeatedly by the health authorities.

All of us know how irresponsible some of our citizens can be in situations like this, and public health information campaigns should be started now. We should not wait till the disease has got a vicious hold on the entire country to respond to the situation. It should be emphasised that it is the bounden duty of all citizens to put their common shoulder to the wheel in a rigorous effort to avoid another possible catastrophe.

We must also have a very clear and fool-proof plan for those who have the disease and are proven to be positive on testing. Facilities in healthcare institutions should be arranged in a way that would produce optimal results. It is not at all necessary to admit all positive cases to hospitals. As it developed through sheer necessity during the latter parts of the last epidemic, it was found that many patients could be successfully managed at home with rapid access to medical advice and services. Initiatives such as the Doc Call 247 mobile telephone service, handled by volunteer medical personnel, provided a magnificent service during the last epidemic. Some, particularly those with other concurrent medical issues, and the elderly with the disease, might need hospitalisation. It must be remembered that our deaths due to COVID during the last wave of the disease were much less than in many of the other countries in the world. Much of it was due to unmitigated efforts by all healthcare personnel, consisting of a cohort of our people who served humanity with dedicated compassion.

All of these suggested interventions involve a loud and strong media campaign. It should be stressed that the last thing we need, like a hole in the head, is another COVID outbreak. This is particularly so considering the dicey economic and financial status of our country. Many have probably forgotten the havoc that was caused by the last pandemic of COVID-19. It is imperative for those with very short memories to be further educated on all these aspects. All forms of media have a singular responsibility to provide up-to-date and correct information regarding the problem and constantly reiterate the necessity to undertake the preventive measures listed here.

N.B.

The author is most grateful to his colleague, Dr LakKumar Fernando MBBS, DCH, MD, MRCP, MRCPCH, FRCP, FSLCPaed, for providing some well-thought-out considerations that facilitated the writing of this article.

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

21 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

21 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

21 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.