A Virologist at the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Dr Michael Owusu, has revealed that the mortality rate of monkeypox is not as high as that of Covid-19.
Dr Owusu indicated that the confirmation of cases of Monkeypox in the country by the Ghana Health Service means that “no country can escape it at the moment”. He explained that what must be done is to adopt strategies to deal with the virus, contain it and possibly break the chain of transmission.
“Well, the mortality rate of monkey pox is not that high as compared to Covid, which we were doing close to 10 per cent mortality rate. Monkey pox causes discomfort, body weakness, sometimes fever but it is unlikely to cause death. Even if there will be cases of death, you need to have large numbers of it in people who are mostly already weak; they are those who are likely to die.”
Dr Michael Owusu
Dr Owusu highlighted that there are ways of dealing with the virus to avert further transmission. He opined that the application of hand sanitizer is very crucial, likewise the use of mask and “avoiding body contact as much as you can”.
GHS confirms five cases of monkeypox in the country
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has confirmed that the country has currently recorded five cases of Monkeypox in three regions. Dr Kuma-Aboagye revealed that one of the cases has been recorded with a Ghanaian who traveled to the United States from Ghana.
“So far, since the outbreak in Europe we have tested twelve suspected cases in Ghana since 24th of May. Currently, we have confirmed five cases in three regions, Eastern, Western and Greater Accra. No deaths have occurred.”
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
Speaking at a press briefing today, June 8, 2022, Dr Kuma-Aboagye iterated that the cases were identified through the testing of 12 suspected cases, including one case that was reported from the Western Region.
“I am sure of late we have had a lot of discussions on social media on monkeypox, and I think the most popular one was the one from the Western Region, that was negative. We tested and it was negative.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
The Director-General of the GHS noted that monkeypox is a disease that is transmitted from animals to man and is very endemic in Nigeria, Cameroon and generally in West Africa.
Elaborating on the mode of transmission, Dr Kuma-Aboagye expressed that there are chances of transmission between humans but there has to be very close “skin to skin contact, face to face contact or mouth to skin contact. This, he emphasized, are the means through which monkeypox can be transmitted from human to human.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye indicated that although there are vaccines available for the treatment of the disease, he does not reckon the country has “reached a stage where we have to call for vaccination of the cases”.
“So, prevention is the key activity that we all must embark on and also early detection and reporting if we see any rash.”
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
READ ALSO: Arrears Of Some School Feeding Caterers To Be Paid Today
