A suspected case of the novel coronavirus at Berekum in the Bono Region has tested negative.
There have been over 40 suspected cases in Ghana that have tested negative of the virus which has since been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The latest suspected case involved a Ghanaian man who had returned from Spain which has over 2,200 reported cases with thirty-seven deaths.
Speaking on the latest suspected case to Citi News, the Bono Regional Director of Health of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kofi Issah said the patient reported to the Berekum community hospital with symptoms of the virus.
He had returned from Spain three days prior to presenting symptoms and matched case definitions when interviewed by health workers.
“The district rapid response team and the regional rapid response team met with the patient, took a sample from him and then managed to then get him to a place where they could [isolate him].”
“Somebody had to travel throughout the night and then send the samples to Kumasi and Accra and within about four or five hours, we got the results which was negative,” Dr. Issah narrated.
Though Ghana is yet to record a case, a significant number of cases have been detected in Africa, including all the countries bordering Ghana.
How to protect yourself
To prevent the spread, the standard recommendations coming from the World Health Organisation are regular hand washing, covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
We are also advised to avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
WHO has also given more detailed guidelines on how workplaces can put in place proactive measures with the virus in mind.