Prevention of the third wave of Covid-19 – key to compliance with safety protocols

Wear a mask, wash your hands regularly with soap and water, use disinfectant, and maintain a distance of 6 feet between yourself and others.

These have been preached since Ghana first recorded its first two cases of Covid-19 in March 2020. Initially, it was quite difficult to enforce these protocols by the public, especially the wearing of face masks. .

However, the imposition of a partial lockdown and law enforcement by local authorities and police have caused large numbers of the population to adhere to the protocols.

This is not the case today, despite the presence of the delta strain, the most contagious variant. The Ghana Health Service says failure to follow safety protocols is one of the causes of recent infections.

As of July 21, 2021, the country had recorded 817 deaths and 3,446 active cases.

The health service says the recent increase in the number of cases is worrying. This required a strategic senior management meeting to address the issue.

In a statement released after the meeting, complete disregard for security protocols was one of the causes identified as shortcomings in the management of Covid-19 in Ghana. Health experts say a third wave of the pandemic is imminent in Ghana.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Eid celebration, President Akufo-Addo warned that “we can only minimize its health effects (Covid-19) and avoid a full-fledged third wave if we continue to be responsible and adhere to safety and hygiene protocols. ”.

Research shows that wearing face masks reduces the chances of transmitting and catching the virus. The Ghana Health Service described some measures to deal with non-adherence to protocols; Mobilization of opinion leaders, religious leaders, traditional leaders, key influencers, etc.

These included; implement contextualized risk communication measures for places such as schools, workplaces and establish and enforce Covid-19 safety protocols, where applicable.

The president and health officials have used advocacy and education to get citizens to adhere to the protocols. But will using these methods alone work and why has little application been observed?

These are the questions that demand answers.