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RAT can identify 79% of those with high viral loads
Rapid antigen testing can identify 79% of those with high viral loads, a study by V.R. Francis and M.A.R.V. Muthugala, published in the Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases, states. However, the overall sensitivity of the test was 58.5%.
“As it is a point-of-care test, it has several advantages over the real-time PCR assays in terms of earlier results, ease of use and in usability in field testing. Therefore, it can be used effectively to filter out the infectious individuals in high-risk communities to interrupt the chain of transmission,” the researchers, attached to the Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University and the National Hospital, Kandy, said.
The researchers said that they used a commonly used rapid antigen test kit from the Republic of Korea, supplied by the Ministry of health, Sri Lanka for COVID -19 testing.
“We tested 40 known COVID-19 positive asymptomatic persons and 143 asymptomatic vendors working in the congested Akkaraipattu public market considered a high-risk location,” they said.
The rapid antigen test kit however failed to detect 20.6% of COVID-19 patients with relatively low viral loads and there were no false positive results with the rapid antigen test kit, the study found. (RK)
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Mrs. A. K. Subhashini Indika Kumari Liyanage appointed Commissioner General of Examinations
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Prime Minister in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education to appoint Mrs. A. K. Subhashini Indika Kumari Liyanage, an officer in the special grade in Sri Lanka Educational Administrative Service and currently serving in a post of Commissioner in the Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka to the post of Commissioner General of Examinations with immediate effect.
The Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Mr. Y. G. Gnanathilake, the special grade officer in Sri Lanka Surveyors’ Service to the post of Surveyor General with immediate effect.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 24.01.2024 either to amend provisions of the aged – old Bills of Exchange Ordinance No. 25 of 1927 (Authority 82) or repeal it.
Accordingly, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 15.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of the Bills of Exchange (Amendment) which was prepared by the Legal Draftsmen in the government gazette notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, due dissolution of the Parliament on 24.09.2024, the said draft bill could not be presented to the Parliament.
Under the circumstances, considering the joint resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development together with the Minister of Justice and National Integration, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant approval for the draft Bills of Exchange (Amendment) Act and publish the same in the government gazette notification and subsequently present it to Parliament for its concurrence.
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