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General News of Thursday, 7 May 2020

Source: GNA

Coronavirus: Protect relatives - GHS

Dr Badu Sarkodie Dr Badu Sarkodie

Dr Badu Sarkodie, the Director of Public Health, Ghana Health Service has advised the public to protect their relatives at home and everyone they encounter by distancing themselves.

He said as many people were not tested, some people could have the virus without showing symptoms, therefore, it was important that people especially those who move regularly outside the house, stayed away from their relatives at home.

“Distance yourselves so that if you have the virus, you do not go to pass it on to your mother, father, or grandmother at home,” he stated.

Dr Sarkodie gave the advice at a Press Briefing organised by the Information Ministry in Accra to update journalists and the public on the current state of the COVID-19 in Ghana and measures put in place to manage it.

Keep used face masks away from others especially from the reach of children, Dr Sarkodie stated.

Professor William Kwabena Ampofo, Head of the Virology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, said one measure that slowed down the rate at which the virus was spreading in Ghana was the enhanced contact tracing.

He explained that it included; many people who did not show any symptoms, adding that, those who tested positive were isolated at the initial stage. Another measure was the usage of data collected on the date samples and tested for the COVID-19 and date patients started having symptoms.

Prof. Amofo said Ghana was on top and was likely to have a decline in its number of confirmed cases if her citizens observed the social distancing protocol as well as the individual preventive measures like wearing of face masks, hand washing, and the coughing and sneezing etiquette.

He said the country was not having an overstretched or overwhelmed health system, explaining that, that was only determined by the number of people who tested positive, those who visited the hospital and the number of deaths recorded.