Presumed Science and Data used in coronavirus decisions failing us – Doctors

A doctor at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and a member of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Joojo Nyamekye Badu has questioned the kind of science and data used for some decisions concerning COVID-19 and has argued that some decisions will not be taken if the right data was analyzed.

He made these comments in relation to the reopening of schools for final year students amid COVID-19.

Speaking to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning show, he said: “With our capacity, I think we shouldn’t have let them go to school. Unless we had the capacity to test every student who was going back to school to know who was positive to isolate them first and let those who were negative go to school and make sure that they don’t get close to any other person. But we know our capacity is not up to that point. You can’t fault anyone for that. So the best was to let them stay at home and make plans for them later to go to school. Allowing students to go to school was bad timing and a bad decision by the authorities.

We always hear that the moves are backed by science and data when you don’t know the kind of science and data decision-makers used. Mass gatherings spread the virus. Whilst the virus is spreading now, that is when we are doing more mass gathering”.

Dr. Nyamekye noted that a lot of countries that eased their restriction had to go back to these restrictions because they could not contain the spread. He advised that Ghana must learn from these situations and do the needful.

“It is better we let the children come home now. The disease is spreading but it is not that bad. With the rate of spread, the earlier they come home the better. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine”.

In his numerous addresses to the nation on the update of measures against COVID-19, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has consistently stated that all decisions made in relation to the COVID-19 fight are based on science, data and consultation with key stakeholders.

Quite recently, the President announced that schools and universities are to be re-opened for final year students as part of a revised measure for fighting the deadly coronavirus disease in Ghana.

The decision to reopen schools has however been met with fierce opposition by parents, political parties and other civil society organizations who believe that the reopening of schools is the cause of the recorded number of COVID-19 cases in some schools.