Ghana not likely to have second wave of coronavirus – Virologist

A virologist at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) says it does not look likely that Ghana will suffer a second wave of the coronavirus disease.

Dr Michael Owusu, however, cautioned that if Ghanaians do not strictly adhere to the safety protocols a different story would be told.

In his 18th update to the nation on Sunday, October 18, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said zero active cases is the goal of his government in spite of the inroads made in the fight against the virus.

So far, Ghana’s active cases are 398 after 47,372 cumulative cases were recorded since the outbreak of the disease in March.

President Akufo-Addo urged all Ghanaians to “continue to comply with the measures put in place to deal with the virus. This is the surest way by which we can defeat the virus”.

Adding his voice to this, Dr Owusu said the government has to be supported by the citizens by observing the protocols to keep the virus at bay.

“But if we don’t adhere to the measures,” he said on Midday Live on TV3 on Monday, October 19, “and then there is a possible second wave, then we have to enter into another acceleration phase, reach a peak phase and decline like we have seen in other countries.”

He, however, stressed: “It doesn’t look as if we will have a second wave.”

The country has been recording an average of 25 cases per day since September, 2020.

This has lifted hopes that the fight against the virus is being won.

“Zero active cases must be the goal,” President Akufo-Addo said on Sunday.