COVID-19: 18.1 percent of current cases among children

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Wednesday said 18.1 per cent of COVID-19 cases are among children aged between zero and 15 years old.

It said even though this was worrying, existing data did not support the COVID-19 vaccination for children below age 15, and indicated further that with the current data, monitoring and engagement with the constituted technical team would be done to know if children would be vaccinated just like in other countries.

“But it is still early, so we will continue to monitor,” it added.

Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), gave the statistics at a press briefing in Accra to provide an update on COVID-19 and other diseases.

He said as of June 6, 2022, the country had recorded a total of 452 active cases out of the cumulative number of 162,002 confirmed cases, with a death toll of 1,445.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said there had seen a gradual surge in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country over the last month, with the Greater Accra Region (GAR) being the hardest hit.

He said the Omicron remained the dominant variant as cases were on the rise in the GAR, with the number of new cases increasing from 13.3 to 44 daily.

There were no severe or critical cases, he said, and the country had not recorded any death since early March.

Testing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) had also been at the lowest since the reopening of the country’s land borders, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye noted, but the rainy season could also be a contributory factor to the increase in respiratory tract infections.

He attributed the rise in COVID-19 cases to poor compliance with safety protocols, especially wearing face masks in schools, workplaces, and large gatherings, including conferences, funerals, and parties.

“There has been a decline in the protective effect of vaccination due to low booster vaccination uptake. Currently, the proportion of vaccinated persons who have taken at least a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Greater Accra is six per cent as of May 31 2022,” he added.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said as part of the public health measures to address the surge, authorities would be engaged in enhancing surveillance activities across all districts in the region, especially in schools and workplaces.

He said the Rapid Covid-19 testing in Public Health facilities for early detection and case management would be provided, while management teams and treatment facilities would also be reactivated.

Public education on adherence to the protocols, vaccination, and booster dose uptake would be enhanced to help address the surge, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said.