The people of Wenchi woke up to the news that the Municipality has recorded some cases of the novel Coronavirus.
The Municipal Chief Executive Dr Prince Kwakye Afriyie who first broke the news on Wenchi based radio stations to the general public on Monday 6th July, 2020, with a Press Release, noted that a lot of work went into the latest developments.
He further disclosed that a new methodology thus Enhanced Test was carried out alongside Routine/Suspected Test cases to determine the true COVID-19 status of the Municipality. In all, almost 600 tests were done in June, 19 out of first batch of 79 results received proved positive.
Barely 24 hours after breaking the news, the Municipal Health Director Robert Kwaku Bio briefed on the next batch of results received, pushing the number of positive recorded cases to 42, putting Wenchi in the lead on the District Table of the Bono Region. The results of 240 yet to be received are most likely to increase the number. The challenge has always been the delay of the results from the Test and Research Centres.
The Medical Doctor explained that the cases recorded were Asymptomatic, which meant that the infected people did not show any signs of symptoms and had self-recovered due to strong possessed antibodies or immune system. Checks from the health facilities in the Municipality showed no reported case within the period in which the samples were taken.
The fear, however, was about the number of people who might have come into contact with the Asymptomatic and whether the new contacts, if infected, could possess strong immune systems to equally recover, as Contact Tracing had begun.
Dr. Kwakye Afriyie noted that the Municipal Public Health Emergency Committee (MPHEC) and the Security Council (MUSEC) under his chairmanship have been very proactive and dynamically innovative to contain and prevent the spread of the disease as a priority to protect and save the lives of his constituents. He disclosed that the Enhanced Test approach was informed by the observation on the rate of exchange of trade and commercial business activities between the indigenous and foreign traders.
The Chief Executive cautioned the public against myths and superstitious beliefs about the novel Corona virus, hence, admonished them to adhere to all the safety protocols, with a call for attitudinal change.
Credit: Information Services Department (ISD), Wenchi.
By: Stanick Sofel Amuzu Kpodo/11th Jul 2020