14 Ghanaian lab scientists infected with COVID-19
14 Ghanaian lab scientists infected with COVID-19: At least 14 laboratory scientists have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
According to the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS), its members came into contact with the coronavirus pathogens during the discharge of their duties.
Spokesperson of the GAMLS, Dennis Gyesi Adu, expressed worry over the development, adding the situation happened as their members were not notified of the samples which come from suspected COVID-19 patients.
“We can count about 14 of our lab professionals across the country that are infected. This happens in the line of their duty because samples come into the laboratory routinely.
“We have had challenges with some of these things happening where samples will slip through before later they even realise that this was a COVID suspected patient,” he said.
The laboratory scientists are not the first health professionals to have contracted the dreaded coronavirus.
Already, some 83 health workers, including Doctors and Nurses, have tested positive for the virus, two of which have already succumbed to the disease.
The situation has raised concern among the medical fraternity who are the frontline workers in Ghana’s fight against the coronavirus disease.
As part of efforts to avoid the spread of the virus among the frontline workers, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye, said the service had intensified training on infection prevention and control for all health workers.
Dr. Aboagye also said investigations had commenced to unravel why health workers in Ghana were contracting the virus.
Ghana’s COVID-19 infections stand at 8,070 with 2,947 recoveries, as of May 31. Thirty-six (36) persons have also died from the virus.
Per the data provided by the GHS, 13 persons are in severe condition while three others are in critical condition.
According to the data provided by the GHS, the Greater Accra Regions tops the list of regions in the country with the most COVID-19 cases. The region had recorded 5,616 cases.
The Ashanti Region came second with 1,247 infections, and the Western Region which has been identified as the new hotspot of the virus came third with 421 infections.
–: theghanareport.com
