A public health official has confirmed a possible third wave of the coronavirus in the country following the detection of the deadly Indian strain in Ghana.
Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, who is Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said people must continue to wear their mask and observe safety protocols.
“People try to look at the dashboard. The dashboard looks good. For the past three months, we have got a plateau, so people think that the disease is gone. But now with the apparent detection of this Delta variant, it tells you the threat of third wave is there,†he said on the Super Morning Show on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.
Ghana’s high potential of a third COVID-19 wave was first observed by a study of the behaviour of the coronavirus situation in Ghana.
Researchers at the Global Health and Infectious Diseases Group of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) said unless steps are rolled out to quell it, Ghana could be hit with a third wave within months.
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Already, World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Africa is in the middle of a full-blown third COVID-19 wave has called for more vaccination.
“Africa needs millions of more doses here and now,†WHO’s Africa Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti said.
 The total infections have crossed the five million mark, and at least seven African countries have run out of vaccines.
South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Egypt have recorded the most virus cases in the continent. Uganda and Namibia are experiencing a deadly third wave, with dozens of fatalities recorded daily.
Dr Asiedu Bekoe told the Super Morning Show that Ghana’s must take the destiny into their own hands by adhering to the safety protocols that will prevent an infection.
“What I am saying is that clearly, you need to make sure that you are wearing your mask…that is the most effective intervention in the absence of a vaccine…until we have the herd immunity,†he said.
Ghana has been urged to ditch Astrazeneca and Sputnik V vaccines for more effective ones following the detection of the deadly Delta COVID-19 variant in the country.
Head of the West Africa Center for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, WACCBIP, of the University of Ghana, Professor Gordon Awendare, said the Indian variant, also known as the Delta variant, is one of the 45 variants which are currently in Ghana.
AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines are not very effective against this dangerous variant.