Coronavirus: Sale of COA FS should be based on prescription to avoid abuse - Dr. Omane Boamah

Former Minister for communication, Dr Edward Omane Boamah has said the ‘mad rush’ for COA FS food supplement shows that people are yearning for the treatment of Coronavirus even though the product does not cure coronavirus.

According to him, to ensure that Ghanaians do not take an overdose of the supplements, the government should ensure that it’s only administered strictly on prescription instead of the counter product during this coronavirus pandemic.

There has been a higher demand for COA FS food supplements which serves as an immune booster.

This is due to claims that it reduces the risk of contracting coronavirus and in some cases, cures coronavirus.

These claims have however been dismissed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) which says it has neither independently tested nor verified as a treatment for coronavirus.

Speaking on Good Morning Ghana show on Metro TV on the recall of COA FS by the FDA the former Minister said “… This is the time for the state to make an intervention. COA FS should not be made a counter drug just for the purposes of this COVID-19. This must be based on prescription.”

“People are yearning for the treatment, whiles we encourage them that please hold on we don’t have the treatment for coronavirus yet. Don’t damage your kidneys, liver. Please don’t create wild types of this virus.” He advised

“I’m appealing to Akufo-Addo to engage his colleagues, through these ideas to them so that we begin to look at how affordable, accessible treatment will be to Ghanaians and Africa at large.”

He called on the president to engage stakeholders in discussing how affordable and accessible coronavirus treatment will be considering the burden it will put on the average Ghanaian if they are overpriced, that is when a cure is finally found.

Meanwhile, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), ordered members of the public who bought the COA FS products with batch numbers, CFS00003 manufactured on October 20, 2019 with expiry date of October 19, 2021, and CFS 00004 manufactured on November 18, 2019 with expiry date of November 17, 2012 to return the products to the retail shops from which they purchased them.

This comes after the FDA announced coronavirus: Sale of COA FS should be based on prescription to avoid abuse - Dr. Omane Boamah

Former Minister for communication, Dr Edward Omane Boamah has said the ‘mad rush’ for COA FS food supplement shows that Ghanaians are yearning for the treatment of Coronavirus even though the product does cure coronavirus.

According to him, to ensure that Ghanaians do not take an overdose of the supplements, government should ensure that it’s only administered strictly on prescription instead of counter product during this coronavirus pandemic.