Six individuals who returned to Tissamaharama following a 20-day pilgrimage to India have been admitted to Debarawewa Base Hospital with an unidentified pneumonia-like illness similar to COVID-19.
One patient, experiencing severe respiratory distress, has been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.
Samples from the patients have been sent to the Hambantota General Hospital and the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Colombo to determine whether the illness is linked to a virus currently spreading in India. Test results are expected within a few days.
Acting Tangalle Medical Superintendent Dr. Avanthi Rupasinghe advised individuals returning from overseas travel to seek care at government hospitals or consult internal medicine specialists rather than private general practitioners if symptoms arise.
She further stressed the importance of wearing face masks and following preventive measures until the situation is fully assessed.
(Source: Aruna)
