Browsing by Author "El-Duah Philip....et al"

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    Epidemiological profile of SARS-CoV-2 among selected regions in Ghana: A cross-sectional retrospective study
    (PLOS ONE, 2020) Owusu Michael; Sylverken Angelina Augustina; Owusu-Dabo Ellis; Gorman Richmond; El-Duah Philip....et al
    Background Global cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, causing havoc to several economies. So far, Ghana has recorded 48,643 confirmed cases with 320 associated deaths. Although sum maries of data are usually provided by the Ministry of Health, detailed epidemiological profile of cases are limited. This study sought to describe the socio-demographic features, pattern of COVID-19 spread and the viral load dynamics among subjects residing in northern, mid dle and part of the southern belt of Ghana. Methods This was a cross-sectional retrospective study that reviewed records of samples collected from February to July, 2020. Respiratory specimens such as sputum, deep-cough saliva and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from suspected COVID-19 subjects in 12 regions of Ghana for laboratory analysis and confirmation by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results A total of 72,434 samples were collected during the review period, with majority of the sam pled individuals being females (37,464; 51.9%). The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 identified