We may live with coronavirus for a long time – Health Minister

The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, says Ghanaians have no choice but to live with the deadly coronavirus disease for a long time.

According to him, until a cure or vaccine is found Ghanaians must find ways to go about their normal lives.

He added the only way to live with the virus – that has killed 24 people in Ghana and almost 300, 000 worldwide – without getting infected is to continue to wear the face mask and frequent handwashing.

Speaking at Thursday’s Press Conference to update Ghanaians on the COVID-19, Mr. Agyemang Manu said: “We have lived with malaria for more than 50 years, we have lived with HIV/AIDS for all these years…so we will have to live with this virus.”

Despite the increasing numbers, the Health Minister said there is no way the country can go back to a lockdown since it will have grave implications for the economy and our social lives.

The Health Minister’s comment comes a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned the coronavirus “may never go away.”

Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan warned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear.

He added that even if a vaccine is found, controlling the virus will require a “massive effort”.

Almost 300,000 people worldwide are reported to have died with coronavirus, and more than 4.3m cases recorded.

The UN meanwhile warned the pandemic was causing widespread distress and mental ill-health – particularly in countries where there’s a lack of investment in mental healthcare.

Meanwhile, Coronavirus cases in Ghana have jumped to 5,530 while 674 people have now recovered from the highly infectious disease.

Addressing a press conference Thursday, the Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie stated that there have been 57 new cases in the Greater Accra Region, 62 new cases in the Ashanti Region, two new cases in the Central Region and one in the Western North Region.

The death toll still stands at 24.