Coronavirus: 10 out of 83 children tested positive in January – KCCR

Ten out of 83 children tested positive for COVID-19 at the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in January.

A virologist at KCCR Dr. Michael Owusu made the revelation in an interview on Akoma FM's morning show GhanAkoma last week.

He explained that “all the 83 samples taken in January were within the years of 0 and 12 and all the cases were routine cases referred to our facility from various hospitals”.

Dr. Michael Owusu told host Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “almost all the cases were symptomatic, meaning they showed a bit of fever, cough and other symptoms. This means the new variant unlike the old one is more radical, making almost all cases being asymptomatic.”

He further cautioned that gradually there is a surge in the Covid cases because “we are moving from the mild symptoms to the severe symptoms of the new variant which may overwhelm our health facilities if proper measures are not swiftly taken”.

Restrictions on lower primary schools

The virologist further advocated that “in the face of science and figures, as Ghana is recording averagely 700 cases a day, let’s monitor the figures for another two weeks”.

“When the average cases we are recording daily double, then the calls for lockdown and further restrictions may be in line.”

He further assured all the 10 children who tested positive for the virus have been isolated, treated, and discharged.

Dr. Michael Owusu advocated total regard for the safety protocols to ensure the communal spread of the virus is controlled to prevent the imposition of another level of restrictions.