Coronavirus: Ghana not tackling the issue as it is – EPI

Programme's Manager of the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI), Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Akyianu, says Ghana’s focus in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic has been diverted.

According to him, all should be concerned about rooting out the COVID-19 disease in order to prevent variants even more dangerous than the Delta Variant.

He explained on the Happy Morning Show: “We are not tackling the issue as it is. COVID is still here with us. It is not about Delta variant. You can even get another highly transmissible variant in the next two weeks or even tomorrow. So, we must follow the protocols. I am not really worried about the delta variant. I am worried that COVID-19 is still with us.”

The EPI boss believes that with about 100 new variants of the COVID-19 in the system, it is highly possible that highly transmissible variants can get into “naïve populations” and beat the immune systems of many as it is able to mutate.

“There will always be a new dangerous variant but what is needed is for us to follow the protocols,” he advised.

Weeks ago, the Ghana Health Service confirmed an outbreak of the highly transmissible COVID-19 strain, Delta Variant.

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.

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.

Ghana’s active COVID-19 cases stand at 4,521 with 823 deaths.