The two – a Chinese and an Argentine – who have been living together in the country for a while were isolated at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, their blood samples were taken and sent to the medical research institute on Wednesday, February 5, 2020.
Two suspected cases of coronavirus in Ghana test negative
The two patients who underwent testing for coronavirus do not have the deadly infection, officials at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) announced on Thursday.
Their admission brought operations at Korle Bu to a halt but the test cited by Accra based Joy News’ shows that they do not have the disease.
Dr Kofi Bonney a Senior Researcher at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research further confirmed to TV3 on Thursday afternoon.
“We finished about an hour ago and it came out negative,” he stated.
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According to Dr. Bonney, different tests were conducted on the samples.
He explained that “most sensitive” test as well as the “complementary tests so support or validate” the initial result were done and all proved negative.
An earlier suspected case at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has also been declared negative.
Background
Two foreign nationals, a Chinese and an Argentinian were suspected to have shown symptoms of coronavirus when they visited the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, 5 February 2020.
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The patients who were in Ghana for a while now, were isolated at the facility while blood samples taken were sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), for further analysis.
The two gentlemen reportedly walked into Korle Bu after they were referred to the place from a clinic.
The Greater Accra Divisional Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr William Baah who confirmed this told Accra-based Joy TV said the Chinese left the home country for Ghana sometime in September 2019 while the Argentine, who was in Shanghai, joined the Chinese in Ghana in January.
“They’ve all developed some symptoms that fit the case definition [but] it doesn’t mean they have the disease,” he stated.
He said another round of testing is expected to be conducted on the two nationals today, Thursday, 6 February 2020.
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