SPECIAL REPORT: Ghana averagely records five coronavirus cases every hour

As Ghana marks exactly three months in its fight against coronavirus, research shows that averagely, five people contract the virus every hour.

Figures available on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) COVID-19 website Friday show a total case count of 10, 856 with 3,921 recoveries and 48 deaths.

This translates into 120 cases daily and five infections every hour as authorities roll out plans to mitigate the spread and economic impact.

The total number of active cases are 6, 887. Critical cases are six with four patients surviving with the aid of ventilators. Cases described as severe are 16.

The development puts Ghana in a club of African countries with more than 10, 000 cases. These include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria.

Greater Accra, the capital, leads the number of infections with a caseload of 6, 791.

Gender distribution shows 58% for male and 42% for female.

After Ghana survived the Ebola outbreak in 2013, many hoped, that like that one, the country would not have to record any case.

Despite the horrifying news about the pandemic in China and it’s fast-spread from Wuhan, where it was first detected, life was normal in the West African country.

However, the narrative changed drastically with imported cases from a senior official at the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana who had returned from Norway, and a Ghanaian staff member at the United Nations (UN) offices in Ghana who had returned from Turkey.

• Almost 90 days after, total tests conducted stands at 242,218. It means for every one million people, 7,805 are tested. Out of the 242, 218 who are tested, 4.48% came out positive.
• The highest number of infections recorded in the country was on April 25 with more than 325 cases.

• While the biggest recoveries were 786 announced on May 16. 

Comparison between Ghana and the top countries with the most infections in Africa as of June 12.

• Ghana vs Africa

Comparatively, Ghana has performed better than the regional average. When the whole of Africa reached 10, 000 cases, more than 500 people died.

• Ghana vs South Africa

South Africa has the highest number of cases on the continent with more than 58, 500 known cases and 1,284 deaths. The country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed its first case on March 5.

The country became one of the earliest African countries to report cases.

South Africa crossed the 10, 000 mark in about two months. By May 11, their caseload had reached 10,015 with about 4,173 recoveries. At the same time, close to 194 deaths were announced.

• Ghana vs Egypt

Egypt is second in Africa with 39,726 total infections, with 1,377 deaths.

Egypt was also the first country to record the contagion in Africa on February 14.

It took longer than South Africa to hit 10,000 cases. By May 12, approximately three months later, the North African country had surpassed 10,000 infections, with 544 deaths, and recoveries were 2,326.

• Ghana vs Nigeria

On February 27, Nigeria confirmed its first case, the first in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria also reached the 10, 000 mark about three months after it registered the pathogen.

Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control reported a total of 10,162 infections as at May 31. At the same time, over 3,000 people were also discharged in the most populous country on the continent. The death toll was, at the time, 287.

• Ghana vs Algeria

Currently, Algeria has recorded 10,589 infections with 741 deaths. It places the country among the top five worst affected on the continent.

The first case in the country was confirmed on February 25. By June 8, the North African country had registered 10, 265 cases. Active cases were 2,751, recoveries were pegged at 6,799 and deaths 715.

 

Comparison between Ghana and the top countries with the most deaths in Africa as of June 12

 

The club of top nine countries with deaths beyond 100 as of June 12 are:

Egypt (1,377)

South Africa (1,284)

Algeria (741)

Sudan (413)

Nigeria (387)

Morocco (212)

Cameron (212)

DRC (101)

Mali (101)

 

As at June 12, Ghana has not even recorded 50 deaths with the death toll at 48.

This is significant because four of these countries have recorded more than 10,000 cases.