A patient infected with the South African variant of Covid-19 has been identified in Sri Lanka.

Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the Sri Jayewardenepura University, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said the variant is the B.1.351 lineage found in South Africa.

He said the patient was detected with the variant while undergoing mandatory quarantine at a quarantine centre.

Dr. Jeewandara said that a patient infected with the E484K lineage of the coronavirus has been detected in the Mahiyanganaya area.

A total of four patients infected with the B.1.1.7 lineage of the virus found in the United Kingdom were detected while undergoing quarantine at quarantine centres, he said.

Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said that five patients with the B.1 variant found in Europe and one patient infected with the B.1.1.103 variant found in Bangladesh and Europe were also detected while undergoing quarantine at quarantine centres.