Dr. Samuel Essien-Baidoo, a virologist at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), has urged parents to periodically check the sense of smell and taste in their children in order to detect any changes and also for them to seek quick medical help. He averred that, these are some of the surest COVID-19 symptoms, apart from the high fever.
Speaking of how parents can easily identify the COVID-19 symptoms to enable them seek quick medical attention for their wards, he noted that apart from high fever, parents should skilfully carry out this exercise on their children after school to identify the symptoms.
“When the child returns from school, after hands have been washed and all the necessary protocols carried out, you let him or her taste something and also smell something to ensure all the senses are working.
“But this should be done skilfully in order not to make the child paranoid because the psychological aspect is very important so you don’t put unnecessary fear in the child.”
Dr.Essien-Baidoo said
Speaking in an interview on the rate of infections in the country and the current cases recorded in various schools, he however assured parents that there is no cause for alarm even as reports of COVID-19 infections in some schools and children continue to come in.
His comment comes on the back of many parents expressing concern about the safety of their children in schools and also calling on government to close down the schools again as a safety measure, after 73 out of 553 students at the Akosombo International School (AIS) in the Eastern Region tested positive for the virus.
However, Dr. Essien-Baidoo posited that, there was no cause for alarm since a lot of education had taken place as well as safety measures outlined for school children.
“There has been a lot of COVID-19 education to the extent that even 4 to 5-year-olds are aware of the disease. So, all the parents should also play their part by continuing the COVID-19 education at home.”
he said
In a related development, Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Kweku Appiah, has called on parents to join in the fight against COVID-19 by ensuring that children going to school or interacting with their friends do so under strict adherence to the protocols.
He indicated that a research by his outfit in collaboration with medical experts reveal Ghana has not reached the level of risk to determine whether schools should be closed down or not.
He however urged that, there must be effective strategies in place to reduce the spread of the virus and measures to provide first class services for children affected.
According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana’s current COVID-19 active cases is at 6,938 following the confirmation of 675 new infections across the country.
Additionally, ten more persons have succumbed to the virus, raising the death toll to 482 from a previous 472. The new infections, the GHS said, are from tests conducted as at February 09, 2021. The latest update further disclosed that 434 more people have also recovered, bringing the total of clinical recoveries and discharge to 65,583.
