30,000 more samples tested since Akufo-Addo’s last address - Prof. Ampofo

Head of Virology Department at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Prof. William Ampofo has revealed that 30,000 more samples have been tested since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s last address on April 19, 2020.

According to him, Ghana is likely to soon hit the 100,000 mark as coronavirus tests conducted so far have resulted in 1,145 cases

“Actually, since he addressed us, we have tested close to 30,000 samples; again, using the same ‘pooling’ method. Because each time we do 10,000 samples, it’s actually a multiplication of a simple initial number. So, please, do not be surprised if, in the next couple of days, you hear that we have tested 100,000 samples in Ghana. It’s just a matter of multiplication and addition,” he stated.

“In a nutshell, you can understand that it is not impossible to have tested 68,000 samples as His Excellency the President reported when he addressed all of us,” Prof. William said at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday April 22. Now, we don’t just test, each test that is done follows policy control tests as indicated by the manufacturer,” Prof. Ampofo explained.

The Virologist adds, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research has so far tested 76,921 samples of COVID-19 with some 70,921 results already out.

He also cited that the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) has so far tested 25,219 samples with results of 15,180 out.

Meanwhile, there is an argument about whether Ghana’s medical laboratories will be able to conduct research on samples for as many as 86,000 as announced by President Nana Akufo-Addo last Sunday.