According to the current update by the Ghana Health Service on the current state of COVID-19 in the country, it has been reported that, the death case count has shot up to 494 from 482 since the last update from the service.
This shoot indicates that, 12 more people have lost their lives to the virus in the last two days.
According to the service, the active case of the country has also reached a total of 6,948 indicating an addition of 554 new active cases recorded.
According to the reports also, the cumulative figure is now 73,557 and out of that 66,115 have recovered and discharged. The GHS also reports that, 113 of the cases are severe and 29 are critical.
The continuous surge in the number of cases for COVID-19 has brought about many health professionals appealing with the public to ensure that they adhere to safety protocols and also ensure to seek early medication in case they notice signs or changes in their body which is similar to the outlined COVID-19 symptoms.
As a result of this, health authorities at the Korle Bu teaching hospital have warned Ghanaians against self-medication and has encourage all to visit hospital facilities when they notice COVID-19 symptoms.
A Nurse at the Korle Bu COVID-19 treatment centre, Juliet Amankwa-Boahin, speaking in an interview disclosed that, most cases that come to their wards are ones that have already developed due to the fact that people stay at home and treat it as malaria.
“It looks like the second wave is much more severe than the first wave. Different symptoms are coming in and usually people are not feeling well and they think it is malaria and just start with malaria treatment. It does not go and later they realise it is COVID.
“Self-medication is very bad. In fact, when you think you are not feeling well go to the nearest clinic and let any doctor treat you.”
She further averred that, self medication is not good and cautioned the public not to do so.
“They come and the treatment is not working and we have to start all over again. It prolongs your stay here. So, self-medication, I will say no.”
She indicated that treatment centres are getting full and as a result, most cases are transferred to other treatment centres. She then urged the public to adhere to safety measures to protect themselves.
In another development, the Executive Director of Environmental Protection (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said that indiscriminate disposable of used nose and face masks will pollute the environment and spread COVID-19.
According to him, if used nose masks are awashed into the country’s river bodies, the trapped virus will be released into the river and that will transmit the spread of the Covid-19. Mr. Kokofu stated that the way people dispose the masks is nothing to write home about with litters all over the environment, making the virus thrive.
He said the public should be educated on the right way of disposing the nose masks and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
