KBTH on high alert over Coronavirus resurgence

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is on very high alert for COVID-19 following the increased spread of the disease among hospital staff.

An internal memo issued last week and sighted by the Ghanaian Times indicated that 23 active cases had been confirmed among staff, of which 70 per cent was hospital-acquired and 30 per cent through community transmission.

A further breakdown pointed to the fact that 13 infected persons were nurses, five doctors, and the remaining five were non-clinical staff.

Of those affected, 20 were fully vaccinated, and three others were unvaccinated.

It named departments, including the Accident and Emergency Unit, Child Health, Polyclinic, Public Health, and the Human Resource, where cases were reported from.

“As healthcare workers, learn to live safely with COVID-19. It is our responsibility to reduce the risk of catching the disease and passing it on to another healthcare worker or family members.”

The statement implored workers to get booster doses to complete vaccination and improve their immunity against the disease while taking seriously practices of wearing a face mask, regularly washing hands with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub, especially after engaging patients.

“Organise meetings in a well-ventilated environment, observe social distancing and if you develop a dry cough, headache or fever, kindly report to the polyclinic or the public health unit,” it urged.

Ghana is currently grappling with three different infectious diseases; COVID-19, Monkeypox, and the Influenza A (H3N2) virus.

At a recent public update on the statuses of these diseases, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said while COVID-19 active cases as of June 6, 2022, stood at 452, 773, cases of H3N2 have been confirmed with five cases also of Monkeypox.

The steady rise in COVID-19 cases, according to the DG, was traced largely to workplace and school event outbreaks.

Ninety per cent of the active cases were in the Greater Accra region, with 18 per cent of the number being among people zero to 15 years.

Nonetheless, about 15.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to the population.

At least 9.9 million people have received a jab of the vaccines, 6.6 are fully vaccinated, and 837 290 have received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.