The Ministry of Education will decide whether to shut schools in Colombo by tomorrow, Monday, as a preventive measure against the rapid spread of conjunctivitis, a highly contagious pink eye disease affecting an increasing number of schoolchildren, National School Education Director Sanath Jayalath said yesterday.
“The principals of national schools such as Ananda, Nalanda, and Royal College in Colombo have informed us that they have many children infected with the eye infection.
“We may have to consider the temporary closure of schools as a means to break the chain of transmission of the virus and provide maximum protection to our students,” he said.
Jayalath said that the Ministry would decide on closing schools only after consultations with the health authorities, doctors, zonal education directors, and Public Health Inspectors.
“We are collecting information from hospitals, schools, health departments, zonal education directors, public health inspectors, to assess the severity of the conjunctivitis outbreak to take action,” he said.
Education Ministry sources said that Education Minister Susil Premajayantha will likely decide on the closure of Colombo schools following today’s Grade Five Scholarship Examination. This decision follows an extensive review of the widespread severity of the eye infection among schoolchildren.
With regard to the extent of the virus’s spread, Jayalath said that the outbreak had been most severe in Colombo. “Fortunately, the situation is under control in other parts of the country,” he said.
In response to the alarming situation at Central College, Kotahena in Colombo, where the eye infection has rapidly spread among students, Jayalath said that the Education Ministry has taken immediate action by closing the College’s Grade Six and Seven classes. Reports indicate that over 50 students at the school have fallen victim to conjunctivitis.
As some international health experts said, pink eye infection and high fever could be two symptoms of a new Covid strain XBB.1.18, nicknamed Arcturus. This new strain is reportedly more prevalent among children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled it a “Variant of Interest” alongside XBB.1.5. WHO had previously labelled it a “variant under monitoring”. The highest prevalence is said to have been reported from India.
Prof. Neelika Malavige of the Sri Jayewardenapura University’s Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine said, “It could be a variant of many other viruses. I can name over 70 other than the Covid strain XBB.1.18. As such, without proper testing, one cannot confirm it. Our Department has not received any samples for tests.”
Scientists said that conjunctivitis is normally prevalent during the rainy season.
Colombo Municipal Council’s Chief Medical Officer of Health,
Dr. S. Wijayamuni said that conjunctivitis is typically self-resolving and rarely causes permanent eye damage.
