Locks are painful but effective in curbing coronavirus – Expert

General news for Friday 22 January 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

01/22/2021

Ghana does not immediately demand a lockdown but may need to consider the measure depending on how the spread of the coronavirus continues.

This is the view of Nana Kofi Kwakye, a researcher in the Department of Health and Management at New York University.

“A lockdown is a very brutal tool, but it is effective in slowing transmission rates and buying time for the health system and public health systems if the other measures we are putting in place are not effective”, he told Joy FM in an interview.

He cited the case where young people are increasingly admitted after contracting the virus, adding that pressure on the public health system would have dire consequences.

“If we have a case where our intensive care units – intensive care units – are so overloaded, our doctors are so overloaded … anything we can do to reduce the rate of infection and give some protection to the people. people in the intensive care unit and in the medical profession is always a good thing, ”he added.

The Ghana Medical Association has officially called on the government to impose a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. Ghana imposed a lockdown on Accra and Kumasi shortly after the virus arrived in the country last year.

The latest official position on the lockdown was a suggestion from President Akufo-Addo that there was a possibility that stricter virus control measures could be instituted if cases continued to rise.

The compulsory wearing of face masks remains in place while some public gatherings are also banned in accordance with the president’s speech. He ordered the police to apply such measures.

“They (the police) must also ensure the closure of all nightclubs, pubs, cinemas and beaches that may be operating in violation of the law. They will be helped by the other security agencies if need be, ”the president stressed.