The highly transmissible strain of COVID-19 which originated from India, Delta variant, has been detected in Ghana.
The Head of the West Africa Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana, Professor Gordon Awendare, confirmed this on Eyewitness News.
He said the variant was detected in two travelers who arrived in Ghana about a week ago.
“We are saying that in Ghana we have had a few of them [Delta variant] detected, but in travelers who arrived from different countries. This was noticed about a week or two ago; two people so far who were quarantined.”
The Delta variant, which is currently the most contagious, is fast spreading across the world.
Reports have suggested that the variant may trigger serious illness in persons who are not yet vaccinated.
Prof. Awendare, therefore, called for strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols to avoid a spread of the highly contagious variant.
“It is not too different from the normal COVID in terms of the clinical presentation. It means that if the original COVID-19 infected ten people for each infected person, this will infect maybe 17 or 18 people. The good thing is that the same protocols will work. It is about how we strictly adhere to those protocols.”
He also advised the government to explore diverse types of vaccines to ensure herd immunity against the contagious virus.
“There are some countries that are using Pfizer, and they have a better record against the fight against COVID-19. If we are still looking for vaccines, let us get whatever we can get, but let us try to get a mixture of the vaccines because they will come in handy.”
