Blood sample with respiratory coronavirus positive

Ghana has recorded two more of the deadly COVID-19 disease bringing the total number of cases to 11.

Early Thursday morning, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the number of cases stood at 9. Two more cases were later reported in Kumasi and tests have proven to be positive.

The first is a 59-year-old Ghanaian woman, resident in the United Kingdom who recently returned to Ghana and currently living in Kumasi, reported to a private hospital with the history of fever (temp of 39.1 ℃ ), general malaise, cough and runny nose.

Her condition was suspected to be COVID-19. Her sample was subsequently collected and sent to KCCR and the report was received this early morning as positive for COVID-19.

The second case is a 61-year-old Lebanese male trader and resident in Kumasi. He felt unwell and reported to a health facility with fever (temp 39.4 ℃ ), and cough. The sample tested positive for COVID-19.

Both cases are being managed in isolation and responding to treatment.

So far the confirmed cases in Ghana are from Turkey, Norway, Germany, France, United States of America, United Kingdom (UK) and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A total of 399 contacts have been identified and are being followed up. Nineteen (19) of the contacts developed some forms of symptoms and samples were taken for laboratory testing.

The Ghana Health Service added that contact identification and tracking for the newly confirmed cases have just started.

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 200,000 people around the globe after doubling in less than two weeks.

Between the start of the outbreak in December and March 7, there were 100,000 confirmed cases recorded.

But another 100,000 people have been infected in just 11 days since then, largely due to a surge in cases in Europe.

China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany have suffered the highest number of infections.

The John Hopkins University, which announced cases had surpassed the 200,000 mark, also recorded 8,006 deaths.

The current death toll suggests 4 per cent of patients who catch the virus die from it.

But experts say the death rate is probably lower than that because the true number of infections is much higher is far greater because some countries, including the UK, are only testing people hospitalised by the illness.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM