Ghana is battling a second wave of COVID-19 infections, with average daily rate of infection now standing at seven hundred (700).

As of January 27, 2021, at least 40 countries have experienced a second wave of the pandemic, including all countries in the Southern Africa region.

This new wave of infections is thought to be associated with the emergence of variants that are more contagious.

 

COVID-19 variants/types

Preliminary findings show that three new similar but distinct Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, the 501Y/VUI – 202012/01, 501Y.V2, 501Y.V3, have been discovered in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil,  respectively.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has confirmed that the UK variant and other new variants are being transmitted within Ghana’s population.

This comes after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also revealed Ghana together with 21 other countries globally had recorded cases of the 501Y.V2 variant first discovered in South Africa.

Meanwhile, analysis of data from the COVID Symptom Study app, led by researchers from King’s College London, reveals that there are six distinct ‘types’ of COVID-19, each distinguished by a particular cluster of symptoms.

 

Symptoms of COVID-19 

Although continuous cough, fever and loss of smell (anosmia) are usually highlighted as the three key symptoms of COVID-19, data gathered from app users shows that people can experience a wide range of different symptoms.

The analysis revealed six specific groupings of symptoms emerging at characteristic time points in the progression of the illness, representing six distinct ‘types’ of COVID-19.

  1. (‘Flu –like’ with no Fever): this type comes with symptoms of headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, muscle pain, sore throat, chest pain and no fever.
  2. (‘Flu-like’ with fever): this type of Covid-19 has symptoms of headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever, loss of appetite.
  3. (Gastrointestinal): the symptoms are headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, chest pain with no cough.
  4. (Severe level one, fatigue): this type comes with headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, cough, fever, hoarseness chest pain and fatigue.
  5. (Severe level two, confusion): headache, loss of smell, loss of taste,  loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion and muscle pain.
  6. (Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory): headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain shortness of breath, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

 

Ghana’s COVID-19 case count

Ghana recorded 696 new COVID-19 cases on February 1, which has contributed to total active cases rising to 6,086, the latest data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has shown.

Total confirmed cases in the country are 69,255, with 62,729 recoveries while the country has recorded 440 COVID-19 related deaths.

 

By: Gifty Tracy Aminu