https://www.myjoyonline.com/where-is-the-ghanaian-scientific-community-during-this-covid/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/where-is-the-ghanaian-scientific-community-during-this-covid/

During this Coronavirus pandemic, every country is fighting for its own survival. Developed countries with advanced testing and possible medications like USA is looking inwards.

In the initial stages, some countries gave Ghana PPEs and some supplies but our president made it very clear that we will make our own path as a Nation and have a Ghana solution.

Ghana has done well in testing and contact tracing. In the league of African countries we are ranked very high in the amount of testing conducted. This is very good but aside testing what else are we doing?

During the daily briefing from the covid-19 task force, we are not told anything about what the scientific community is doing. Do we have a team of scientists tasked by our government to look at virus mutations, behavioral science, medicine development etc.

In April, after the scientists at the University of Ghana successfully sequenced genomes of the virus and obtained genetic composition of the viral strains in the 15 initial cases, what else has happened four months on?

Earlier, we were told that the symptoms of Covid-19 are cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fever, and muscle pain but in Ghana, most recent covid-19 patients have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. What is causing the change in symptoms?

Most of the cases in the country have also been asymptomatic. What is also accounting for this scenario?

The Antigen levels for IgG and IgM are low in most patients in Ghana what are the reasons?

It is for these questions that I think our scientific community should stand up and be counted in this time of national crisis.

I am pleading with our friends in the media to engage the scientists not the politicians to educate us on the science and development on the Covid-19 as pertains to Ghana.

My fear is without these answers, then a cure developed in USA or Europe might not work or have little effect on us in Ghana since the virus might have mutated into a different strain.

These are my observations and I stand to be corrected since my area of expertise is Energy and not medicine.

***

The writer Kwadwo N. Poku is an Energy Analyst

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.


DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.