Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, has suggested that the increasing cases of COVID-19 recorded may be due to the Delta Variant.
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He notes that although findings have not established this yet, he believes the high transmissibility of the new variant may account for the rise in new cases.
In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he explained: “It is likely that the numbers we are recording now are from the Delta Variant but for now we don’t have that information. But it was said that Achimota School had recorded the Delta Variant and we have not been able to demonstrate that it is scattered all across but looking at the new cases rising, it is possible that it is the effect of the new variant”.
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Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe bemoaned the neglect of COVID-19 protocols as he observed that many people in town do not wear nose masks.
He advised, “one thing we need to carefully consider is the adherence to the COVID protocols. The adherence to the protocols helps us to fight against any kind of variant so I will appeal to Ghanaians to adhere to the protocols
What has helped us is that for now, we don’t have very severe diseases so we need to wear our masks.”
The Ghana Health Service confirmed an outbreak of the highly transmissible COVID-19 strain, Delta Variant, in a Senior High School in Accra.
The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, indicated that the affected students were mostly asymptomatic and are responding to treatment.
The Delta variant, which originated from India, was initially said to have been contained at the Kotoka International Airport after it was detected among some travellers.
Ghana’s active COVID-19 cases stand at 2,247 with 801 deaths.
About Delta Strain of COVID-19
The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2 and first identified in India, is more contagious and resistant to vaccines than the dominant Alpha (U.K.) strain circulating in the U.S. and also carries a greater risk of hospitalization. It now accounts for 99% of cases in the U.K., where it supplanted the Alpha variant as the dominant strain and has helped drive infections in England to double every 11 days. It has proven to be less susceptible to vaccines than the Alpha variant, especially when only one dose has been given.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah