There are fears of a likely upsurge in COVID-19 cases in Ghana as cases are still being recorded at some health facilities across in the country.
Health experts are warning the virus now presents with malaria-like symptoms urging for an uptake in the vaccine drive.
Following the announcement by the WHO that COVID -19 is no longer a public health emergency and a subsequent address by President Akufo-Addo on the state of the virus in the country, it appears many have let down their guards.
Recent cases according to authorities are presenting in different forms, so it was important the country does not relax on its oars with interventions at containing it.
Few weeks back, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shut down its head office in Accra for a fumigation exercise to contain the spread of COVID-19 directing heads of Departments and Units to ensure that staff worked from home during the two-day fumigation period.
Management of the agency said they were making the necessary arrangement with accredited laboratories and clinics for all staff to be tested.
A latest revelation by a Senior Medical Officer at the Ridge Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe at a workshop for journalists on vaccine uptake in the country, re-affirmed the seriousness of the issue.
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“I have had to isolate one of our staff nurses because she tested positive to covid. Somebody I hear came from Canada to the burns unit and the person died. It was after that the test result came and it was positive, and my nurses attended to the said patient. If it was times past, we would have closed down the whole unit.
if you are entering places that are congested, please keep the mask on. Especially at hospital premises. So, we have asked the rest to also test, and we will see what next when the result comes. The cases are there but not severe and there is medication for treatment as well so there is no cause for alarm,” he disclosed.
He further added that although there are no longer reports of severe cases, it is worth noting that the country is yet to attain its herd immunity target for vaccination.
“We have gotten to a point where in a democratic setting for instance, many people believe that they have the right to their lives and the rights to their bodies, but a lot also do not realize that, that right normally ends where another man’s right begins. So we have to be each other’s keeper.
I think we have begun to rest on our oars in educating the public as to where we are on the cases management. We need to still conscientize the populace,” he further explained.
The workshop was organized by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in partnership with the WHO and GHS.
By Sarah Apenkroh
