At least 696 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) taking the country’s active cases to 6, 086.
This takes Ghana’s total confirmed cases to 69,255.
Seven more individuals have passed on increasing the death toll to 440 since the last update, reports the official GHS website. Health officials have recorded 62, 729 recoveries.
Regional active cases
Greater Accra Region – 40,734
Ashanti Region – 12,511
Western Region – 3,730
Eastern Region – 2,953
Central Region – 2,363
Volta Region – 991
Bono East Region – 837
Northern Region – 753
Upper East Region – 742
Western North Region – 712
Bono Region – 680
Ahafo Region – 551
Oti Region – 246
Upper West Region – 220
Savannah Region – 63
North East Region – 32
GMA cautions against use of hydrogen peroxide
Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) says hydrogen peroxide has not been approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 by any international body.
In a statement, the GMA said: “The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Health Ministry (MOH), the World Health Organisation (WHO) or any reputable international drug or health regulatory body has not approved, authorised or recommended the use of hydrogen peroxide for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.”
The GMA said hydrogen peroxide had originally been used as a disinfectant specifically in Ghana in very low concentrations.
The statement follows recent media publications on the use of hydrogen peroxide to prevent COVID-19, a move which has led to panic buying and shortages in the market.
The GMA said despite published observational studies in Ghana and across the world suggesting that hydrogen peroxide “may be used” for the prevention of the COVID-19 disease, “it does not constitute sufficient proof that it will work in human populations to prevent or treat COVID-19 at this present moment.”
Fred Dzakpata
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