Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
The Executive Director of the African Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis, Dr. Thomas Anabah, has cautioned the general public to be wary of the highly contagious strain of the COVID-19 Delta variant that has been detected in the country.
In an interview with Eric Ahianyo on ‘Morning Update’ on TV XYZ, the former director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital said the new Indian variant is tricky and added that the symptoms of the Indian variant differ from the ones known to Ghanaians.
According to him, those who have been vaccinated are few so if the new variant finds its way to the communities in the country, Ghanaians will find it very difficult to control the situation.
“It will be ideal to vaccinate all before our borders are opened but that will not be feasible… however, our borders can be strengthened to check who has vaccinated or who are carrying the virus,” added Dr Anabah.
He further cautioned, “Whether we have hot weather or cold weather that doesn’t mean the people shouldn’t take the precautionary measures especially when there has been scientific proof that the new variant is in the system.”
When the host questioned if it would be appropriate for the country to go on lockdown for possible contact tracing, Dr Anabah emphasized that locking up the country will not be the best option on the table considering the country’s present economic situation.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has allayed fears that the Indian variant cases recorded are not community infections.
Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said the cases were only reported at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), and have not been transmitted publicly because all such positive cases were put under mandatory isolation.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye, who signed a statement to clarify widespread media reports on the outbreak also explained that Ghana has not experienced a third wave of the virus because of the “robust surveillance system in place at the ports of entry and strict isolation of all cases detected.”
“As of now, the country has detected six Delta variants of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) from all samples taken between April and June 2021 at the ports of entry. No Delta variant has been detected from samples taken from cases in the community,” the statement clarified.