Rise above partisanship in coronavirus fight – Rex Omar urges Ghanaians

Board chairman of Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) Rex Omar has called on Ghanaians to desist from politicizing the spread of coronavirus and rather rally behind President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government in the quest to fight coronavirus.

Rex Omar opines that it will take a collective effort to free the country from infections, hence the need for all to, as a matter of urgency, adhere to directives from government.

In a statement issued by the organization on Monday, March 16, 2020 GHAMRO admonished members who have returned from countries that have recorded cases of coronavirus to “engage in the voluntary test exercise and the mandatory self-quarantine of 14 days as instructed” by authorities.

As government places a ban on public gatherings including entertainment events, GHAMRO in its release urged members to comply accordingly while stating that the body will “send bulk text messages to members on a very frequent basis, informing them of new and current information as released by the Ministry of Health on the virus and the accompanied needed health titbits.”

Declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), coronavirus has killed more than 5,000 people, sickened over 115,000 and spread to 75 countries and regions worldwide.

Ghana is currently faced with six confirmed cases of the widespread virus, with over 150 people having had contact with the affected persons being observed.

President Akufo-Addo on March 15, 2020, issued a directive that all outdoor events including funerals, church activities and naming ceremonies, be suspended.

Schools have also been asked to close down temporarily for a period of 4 weeks.

These, according to Akufo-Addo, forms part of precautionary measures to fight the virus and prevent any more spread after the 6 confirmed cases in Ghana.



About coronavirus

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.