The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has denied reports that some students of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the university have successfully created and tested a Coronavirus vaccine.
There were reports that an 8-member medical student team from the KNUST completed works on the vaccine last week and travelled to Ivory Coast when the first case of coronavirus was reported in that country over the weekend.
According to the reports, the students told the press that two of them were in China on an exchange program when the first case of the virus infection was reported.
They allegedly collected samples of the virus from China to their laboratory on campus where they found a cure to it.
However, in a press release signed by the University Relations Officer, Dr Norris Daniel Bekoe, the KNUST has made no such discoveries.
The press release also indicated that the supervisor who is alleged to have supervised the project, one Professor Dr Isreal Nluki, has no affiliations with the university.
“Management thus urges the general public to disregard such publication,” the statement added.
Please find the full details of the press release below
Ridge and Tema General hospitals designated as Coronavirus case management centres
The Ministry of Health has designated the Ridge Hospital and the Tema General Hospital as centres to manage possible cases of coronavirus that may arise in the country.
It said the move is part of Ghana’s plans to prevent and control any case that may be detected in the country and ultimately protect the Ghanaian population.
In a statement dated Monday, January 27, 2020, the Ministry said it has triggered the country’s emergency preparedness and response plan amidst the rising number of infections from the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in other countries of the world.
The Ministry said Regional Directors must designate treatment centres in their respective regions to deal with cases if they arise.
Stricter travel screening
Following an earlier statement that all passengers from China must mandatorily fill health declaration forms, the Ministry of Health has now enhanced the process by applying it to all international arrivals at the Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
“Screening for fever using the walk-through thermometers and non-contact thermometers are ongoing at KIA and other points of entry. Efforts are underway to ensure that all points of entry have non-contact thermometers,” the Ministry added.
Meanwhile, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIR) has indicated that it has the capacity to diagnose coronavirus infection and has since been designated as the laboratory for investigating the virus.
