Presec-Legon records suspected cases of H3N2 flu
The Ghana Health Service has confirmed reports of a suspected outbreak of the H3N2 Influenza at the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School, Legon, ABC News can report.
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About 20 students are reported to have been affected by the virus raising concerns of a possible outbreak of the flu on the campus.
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Speaking to ABC News on the latest development, Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie, detailed that samples have been taken from suspected victims of the flu and the results are expected within the next 24 hours.
Dr. Badu Sarkodie maintained that the cases are minor and not confirmed to be H3N2, however, they observed some students with symptoms of the flu.
“We have taken samples to the lab but we haven’t got the report yet so you cannot say that we have confirmed cases of H3N2 in the school for now but we saw cases of Influenza-like illnesses in some of the students. All of them were minor illnesses. All of them are well” the Public Health Director at Ghana Health Service said.
“Reports may be ready later today or early tomorrow,” he added.
He disclosed that so far 8 schools, 4 in the Greater Accra Region and 4 in the Eastern Region, have recorded cases of suspected Influenza outbreak that has required the Ghana Health Service to take an instant interest in the matter to secure the health of all students.
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About 5 days ago, news of the alleged outbreak of the H3N2 flu in schools in the Lower Manya Krobo District was widely reported.
About 400 students from affected schools including Krobo Girls Senior High School, Akuse Methodist Senior High Technical and Legacy College, were said to have contracted the disease.
Dr. Badu Sarkodie averred, “people have cough, people have catarrh, people sneeze. So that is the syndrome and because it happens in the school setting and the numbers, they say, were high, we moved in there. But coughs, sneezing, and catarrh are all over the country, periodic. We have seen some schools in the Eastern Region, some schools in Greater Accra.”
“In the Eastern Region, the samples that we took – 6 samples were taken – some of the samples that we took confirmed positive for the H3N2 and that is why we mentioned that we have some of these conditions clustering in schools” he submitted, ABC News can report.
Dr. Badu Sarkodie assured that the Ghana Health Service is doing all it can to monitor and deal with the health hazard.
He advised the public to observe the highest form of personal hygiene to control the spread of the flu and report cases to the nearest health facilities for prompt action.
“Adherence to cough etiquettes, that people shouldn’t cough and sneeze at others. Let’s use the tissue and dispose of it in a sanitary way. People should not use a handkerchief, contaminate it and then use it to infect others. If your hand is contaminated, you have to adhere to soap and water. And if anybody is having the symptoms as mentioned – fever, cough, catarrh, upper respiratory infection, you have to report to any nearby clinic or health facility for the necessary support to be given” he iterated.
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