Coronavirus: Ghana well prepared for 3rd wave – Nsiah Asare

Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare, who hopes Ghana will not experience the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic says the country is well prepared to deal with the wave should it reach these shores.

He reminded Ghanaians that just as the first cases of the pandemic were not recorded in Ghana, it is also possible for the 3rd wave which has been recorded in other parts of the world to hit the continent of Africa.

“We must be reminded that we are in a global village and once we have recorded cases of the 3rd wave in other continents, Ghana can potentially suffer it too. As a country, we are prepared to deal with a 3rd wave should it hit the country. We have trained doctors and other experts to deal with it should the need arise,” he stated.

According to him, the 3rd wave of the virus presents itself in the form of pneumonia and affects the lungs of victims who eventually have difficulty in breathing. “With this knowledge, we have stocked our facilities with oxygen to support persons who contract the virus.”

Dr. Nsiah Asare noted that new variants of the virus are always stronger and more deadly, “and the new delta strain makes you sicker with a lot more people being admitted to hospitals around the world.” To protect Ghanaians against this strain, the Presidential Advisor on Health noted, “We have over 43 testing facilities in the country with almost every region having one and that is how prepared we are. We also have the antigen test which will help us.”

He added that the Ghana Health Service now has drugs in stock to treat infected persons with enough isolation centres to care for them.

“We are well prepared for the 3rd wave of the pandemic but we pray we do not suffer it,” he reiterated.

Dr. Nsiah Asare advised Ghanaians to wear their masks and regard COVID-19 safety protocols to the latter to prevent the further spread of the virus.