Don’t wait for Akufo-Addo to tell you to observe Coronavirus protocols – Imani Boss

Franklin Cudjoe is President of IMANI Africa

President of Imani Ghana, Mr Franklin Cudjoe has said that the report released by the Noguchi Memorial Institute on the COVID-19 is scary.

He has therefore asked the public to adhere to all the protocols outlined to deal with the virus.

The COVID-19 Response Team at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) confirmed in a statement over the weekend that the new variant of COVID-19, which the research institute started testing in April, spreads faster.

In a brief communication on the strain, the Team indicated that its testing observations have also revealed that transmission of the new variant is directly linked to shedding of the virus in droplets during sneezing and coughing, “which also determines the spread through talking, singing and other related activities”.

Since recording the new strain, Ghana’s confirmed cases have shot up from 90,000-plus cases in April, the total confirmed cases currently stands at over 101,000.

Recoveries and discharges have slowed as a result of the viral loads of the new variant.

“It has been observed that the positive individuals are taking longer to clear the virus,” the Response Team at NMIMR said in its brief communication dated Saturday, July 24.

It is, therefore, calling on government to take “a second look at the state of adherence to Covid-19 preventive protocols and appropriate restrictions”.

Commenting on this in a tweet, Mr Cudjoe said “Noguchi just published a scary update on the Delta variant of covid-19. Please do not wait for the President to tell you to observe the protocols.”