The Coronavirus: How Vigilant Is Ghana

When news broke that a troublesome virus called ‘Coronavirus’ has broken out in China and killed some 106 persons out of over 2000 persons affected, many in Ghana though it was a ‘far-away’ challenge until it was confirmed that the same virus has reached Ghana’s neighbor, Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast’s health ministry has given some written assurance that the 34-year-old woman who showed symptoms of the virus is currently in isolation and receiving treatment.

Meanwhile Health officials in Ghana have tightened surveillance at Ghana’s border with Cote d’Ivoire after this suspected case of coronavirus was reported.

The said women returned from China to Ivory Coast with the Virus and that should be a major concern and a significant alarm bell to Ghana especially there is a lot of movement of persons between Ghana and China.

Chinese nationals troop in and out of Ghana in their hundreds every other day. Ghanaian traders also often travel to China to import assorted goods.

It is therefore necessary for the country to take some proactive steps to educate its citizens on the dos and donts of avoiding the deadly killer virus that has so far spread to some 16 countries.

God forbid, if this Coronavirus gets to Ghana, it would be a major challenge to handle and it is for this reason the danger should not be taken lightly but rather the alarm bells but in full swing giving informative education on this killer virus.

Diseases like malaria, cholera and their kinds are still a difficult challenge in the country. Allowing this strange one by name Coronavirus is certainly a no no.

It was this fear that propelled Nana Ofori Owusu, the Director of Operations of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) to call for an embargo to prevent visitors from China and its neighboring countries in Asia from visiting Ghana.

Perhaps that would sound overly simplistic and unrealistic but certainly, the import of Nana Ofori’s call should not be overlooked.

As a country, we cannot look on unconcerned without some red alert that would keep everyone vigilant.
It is in times like this that we expect the Information Service Department (ISD) and the Ministry of Health to be alive and loud in telling the general public about the situation and giving clear guidelines on what to do.