Immunologist and a Research Fellow with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Dr. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, says it is good news that people who have contracted the Delta strain COVID-19 virus are not severely sick.
In an interview, he stated that the country is lucky the affected persons are not sick looking at the nature of the virus.
He, however, warned that if the nation does not take precautionary measures against the spread of the strain, the situation will be disastrous.
“We should be concerned as a country considering the effects that the Delta strain has had on some countries like India and other countries where the strain exists. In the first instance of the first COVID-19 strain, we had a mild effect compared to other countries.
“But I believe the mild effects we are experiencing are all based on luck. But as a country,;we need to put measures in place that will put an end to this because we cannot continue living on luck.”
Dr. Kusi
His comments come on the back of the Ghana Health Service confirming;an outbreak of the highly transmissible COVID-19 strain, Delta variant, in a Senior High School in Accra.
The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, indicated that the affected students were mostly asymptomatic and are responding to treatment.
The Delta variant,;which originated from India, was initially said to have been contained at the Kotoka International Airport after it was detected among some travelers.
GMA worried over delta variant detection
Meanwhile, Dr. Frank Ankobea, President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed worry over the detection of the deadly Delta variant of Coronavirus in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.
Speaking in an interview, he called on government to strengthen surveillance at the country’s land borders due to the highly infectious nature of the virus.
“You see, what you should know is that yes, people will be vigilant, [but] try and prevent it from getting into the system. But one way or the other, some may slip through, we don’t even know where these ones came from.
“It could be through our land borders and not necessarily the airports and it’s a cause for us to strengthen our land borders and all those things with surveillance.”
Dr. Ankobea
His concern stems from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) announcement that it has recorded 34 active cases of the deadly Delta variant of the Coronavirus disease in Ghanaian communities.
Step up COVID education
Dr. Ankobea further called on all stakeholders to step up education on COVID-19 protocols to help avoid any third wave in the country.
The GMA President also appealed to government to provide health workers with more personal protective equipment (PPE) to effectively contain the spread of the virus.
“We are worried that such a thing has happened. We know that the Delta variant is more contagious, it spreads faster.
“All we are going to do is that we still need the PPE and all other things for any surge or any wave that happens. We are getting ready to meet the challenges as and when they come.”
Dr. Ankobea
