GHS sets 10-day tracker to eradicate H1N1 Influenza Virus

The Ghana Health Service is giving itself ten days to declare the H1N1 Viral Influenza, which has killed four students of the Kumasi Academy, completely eradicated.

The number of students that have been documented to have contracted the disease stands at 85 with eleven still on admission.

The Ashanti Region directorate of the Health Service gave the details in a short media conference held in Kumasi to improve information flow and to demystify some misconceptions being circulated about the H1N1 Viral Influenza outbreak.

The number of students who have contracted the disease currently stands at eighty five with eleven still on admission in the KNUST Hospital; the Kumasi South Hospital, the Manhyia Government hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Speaking to Ultimate News on the sidelines of the conference, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Health Service, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang indicated that in the past two days, no new case has been recorded.

He gave some positive indication that the disease can be declared eradicated if the trend remains same in the next ten days.

He explained that, “The maximum incubation period is five days and if you want to make sure that you’ve actually broken the transmission, you have to double the incubation period. Since the incubation period is five days, when you multiply by two, then it is ten days. So after ten days, if we no more record any new case, then we know that the epidemic is over,”

Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang also indicated that some 800 dozes of anti-viral drugs used to manage the Influenza have already been distributed to the hospitals handling the reported cases.

He further assured that the health service is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that the disease has not reached homes of the students who went home and had some bodily contact with their relatives.

He also indicated that the health service has procured a number of Veronica Buckets and health education materials and notices to maintain good hygiene, proper education and cleanliness in the Kumasi Academy.