The Board Chair of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has clarified that Ghana stands the risk of a possible Coronavirus outbreak just as other countries in the Sub-Region.
He said although the virus basically survives in cold environment, Ghana’s hot weather does not eliminate its susceptibility of a confirmed case of the deadly COVID 19 disease.
Following the outbreak of the disease, unconfirmed reports suggest that blacks may not be affected by the pandemic because an African is yet to be diagnosed with the virus.
But speaking on Citi FM/TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, Dr. Okoe Boye who is a medical practitioner by profession and Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku said, because the virus will subside in warmer environments such as that of Ghana, the rate of infection from one person to the other will be relatively lower should there be an epidemic outbreak.
“Everywhere we are having it… [Coronavirus] It is in places where the temperature is down. That is why they are referred to as cold viruses. Most of the viruses that cause the common cold are active when the temperature drops . So I wouldn’t say that because of Ghana’s temperature, we will not be affected. But the rate of transmission should we have an outbreak will not be like elsewhere because of the temperature difference.”
COVID 19 not a doom stay virus
Dr. Okoe Boye further allayed the fears of Ghanaians of an outbreak.
He called for calm among the citizenry while assuring of Ghana’s preparedness to handle such a case.
“Coronavirus has an infection rate of 10 per cent. This means that if 10,000 persons are exposed to Coronavirus, just about 1,000 of them will have it in their blood. So being exposed that does not mean you will get it. And out of the 1,000 who get it in their blood, only about 50 of them will show symptoms of ill health. Those who don’t show it means that their bodies are able to contain the conditions.
“It is the body that fights most viral conditions by building immunity. So most people are fighting the condition naturally. I am saying this because we have a dual duty of telling people to protect themselves and assure them. This is not a doom stay condition. This is a virus that is catching attention because it is a new one. But we have the capacity.”
So far, Ghana has tested 46 suspected cases of the deadly virus, which proved negative.
In other parts of the world, it has claimed over 3, 412 lives and infected over 100,000 others in some 70 countries.
Almost 56,000 infected persons have also recovered.
Ghana ready to handle Coronavirus outbreak just like Ebola
Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye had insisted that Ghana is prepared to deal with a possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID 19).
Contributing to deliberations on the disease in Parliament he said because Ghana handled Ebola between 2014 and 2016, the country is equally poised to avert the spread of Coronavirus.
“This country treated Ebola when a case was presented at the Emergency Unit of Tema General Hospital. So I have to tell you that my colleagues who received training just like how doctors are now receiving training for Coronavirus were able to handle this case in such a way that, not even one person got infected although we sadly lost the patient. But we pride ourselves in the fact that because of the preventive measures, nobody contracted the disease. Mr. Speaker, any country that was ready to handle the Ebola case can handle Coronavirus.”
