Covid-19

Claim: Temperature and enclosed spaces affect the transmission of coronavirus.

Mostly True. Although some literature supports the claim that temperature can affect the reduction or increase in coronavirus transmission, a lot is still yet to be proven in this regard.

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As the coronavirus began working its way through countries, many myths and theories were spread about the virus. Some of these claimed that eating garlic could kill the virus; that consuming hot peppery soups could prevent the virus, and a host of others. Most of these claims were later found to be false.

A very prominent theory that circulated and had some countries at ease when the pandemic started was that the Covid-19 virus could not survive or spread in a hot or sunny climate.

A tweet by a radio personality seems to have revived the conversation.

“So last year, who ankasa come lie we say covid-19 no go catch Africans cos here hot.”

The post has since generated many comments on the platform.

A video of a former deputy Health Minister, Dr. Okoe Boye during an interview, stating some hypothesis on how temperature can affect the spread and intensity of Covid-19, was shown as evidence to support the claim. 

But does temperature really affect the spread of the Covid-19?

Video Transcript

“There are two main things and remember we are still studying the virus so most of the claims are hypothetical not empirical from established studies. But there are two observations that have been made strongly that facilitates spread and even intensity of disease.

The first one being the temperature, cold climate. That is why in most countries they predicted that they might have a second wave in the winter.”

Verification

The comments on Twitter seemed to give the impression that the video in question was from last year. Although similar claims were made last year, the video showing of Dr Boye is recent.

A longer version of the video showed that the excerpt came from CitiTV’s The Big Issue which aired on January 17th, 2021.

The discussion that brought out Okoe Boye’s statement was in line with the reopening of schools and risks associated with it.

Transcript

Interviewer:

“You made a point about concentration of particles in enclosed spaces. Fortunately, a lot of our schools are not under trees. Perhaps these are one of the instances where we can be happy about schools under trees but fortunately or unfortunately we don’t have instances where we have schools under trees. A lot of the schools, a huge majority are enclosed. What is the government’s plan? What are the measures put in place by the government to ensure that should any of the kids or students have it; I mean be it asymptomatic or not, given that they are in an enclosed space, this will not degenerate, the infection rate will not go up or that person will not infect a lot of their colleges.”

Okoe Boye:

“There are two main things and remember we are still studying the virus so most of the claims are hypothetical not empirical from established studies. But there are two observations that have been made strongly that facilitates spread and even intensity of disease.

The first one being the temperature, cold climate. That is why in most countries they predicted that they might have a second wave in the winter.  The second one is an enclosed, If the structure of your community enclosed type, the rate of transmission is higher. And what do i mean by the closed type? If you go to Europe, most markets, if you want to go and buy, it’s not an open market like Agbogbloshi or makola where… you go to an enclosed space…  Luckily, how many schools”

Two claims were deduced from Dr Boye’s response:

1. Enclosed spaces promote the spread of Covid-19
2. Temperature affects spread and intensity of disease

Are there existing hypothetical studies to support Okoe Boye’s claims?

Yes.

A study by  Peng Shi, Yinqiao Dong, Huanchang Yan, Xiaoyang Li, Chenkai Zhao, Wei Liu, Miao He, Shixing Tang and Shuhua Xi titled, The impact of temperature and absolute humidity on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak – evidence from China, investigated the impact of temperature and absolute humidity on the Covid-19 outbreak in 31 provincial-level regions in mainland China. Data was gathered between January 20th and February 29th, 2020. Findings revealed that the lowest daily incidence of the coronavirus was at -10 °C and highest at 10 °C. COVID-19 incidence changed with temperature as daily incidence decreased when the temperature rose. Also, a modified susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (M-SEIR) model confirmed that transmission rate decreased with the increase of temperature, leading to further decrease of infection rate and outbreak scale.

These findings were similar to Mecenas et al’s (2020) study, Effects of temperature and humidity on the spread of COVID-19: A systematic review and Wu et al’s (2020), Effects of temperature and humidity on the daily new cases and new deaths of COVID-19 in 166 countries and many others who also report positive decrease in transmission with increased temperature.

However, the World Health Organization(WHO), has stated firmly that there is currently no conclusive evidence that either weather or climate have a strong impact on transmission of the virus. This is proven in the fact that the disease has been transmitted in all regions of the world, from dry, cold, hot or humid climates.

With regards to enclosed spaces increasing risk of infection, studies also exist to support this.

Bhagat et al in their 2020 study, Effects of ventilation on the indoor spread of COVID-19,  found that existing data indicates that indoor transmission of the virus far exceeds outdoor transmission. This, the study indicates may be due to longer exposure times and the decreased turbulence levels (and therefore dispersion) found indoors. This suggests that indoor or enclosed spaces do have the tendency to increase transmission of the coronavirus. 

This is supported in another study that suggests that it is very critical to prevent overcrowding and to also allow adequate ventilation and filtration of circulating air in buildings to mitigate the transmission of the coronavirus. This suggestion is made in the study, Understanding of Aerosol Transmission of COVID 19 in Indoor Environments, by Barro et al (2020). 

Additionally, respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes and person-to-person close contact are some of the main modes of transmission identified. This could account for enclosed spaces being sources of infection in some way.

The case of Ghana

Ghana has recorded a relatively high number of Covid-19 cases regardless of the high temperatures experienced here. But has the temperature supported the moderately better record of deaths and confirmed cases in comparison to countries with colder temperatures?

According to endcoronavirus.org, some of the countries that are beating coronavirus are Australia, the Bahamas, Brunei, Djibouti, Iceland among others while Burkina Faso, Chile and Canada are at the other end of the stick.  These countries range from hot to cold climates on both sides of the coin. Canada for instance is currently -11°C while Burkina Faso is at 37°C and yet, both countries are considered countries not doing well in battling the Covid-19 pandemic. Same can be said for Iceland which presently records a temperature of -3°C and Djibouti with its 29°C and yet both are tagged as countries beating the coronavirus.

It is, therefore, clear that there is more to the spread of the virus as rightly stated by the WHO and many other health organisations and studies.

Conclusion

Okoe Boye is not off in his claims regarding temperature and enclosed spaces as the preceding studies suggest. Boye also provided a caveat in his statement that suggests that he may be wrong as the claims he made are based on theoretical studies, making the claim to merit a mostly true  status.

Claim: Some COVID-19-recovered male patients experience erectile dysfunction as a complication.

Mostly true. The Ghana Medical Association states erectile dysfunction as complaints from a lot of recovered COVID-19 male patients. This is also corroborated by research and reports from other parts of the world that attempt to prove this claim to be so. However, neither the WHO nor CDC has established the symptom to be a COVID-19 complication as yet. The Ghana Health Service is also yet to confirm and establish the correlation through extensive research.  

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The conversation on recovered COVID-19 victims having possible short-term or long-term health complications has been revisited on Ghana’s media space, with a recent news report stating that some recovered COVID-19 male patients are experiencing erectile dysfunction. 

Interestingly, the focus of the conversation surrounding the news report this time, is not so much of whether COVID-19 patients ‘truly’ recover as it is whether this could be employed as a media gimmick to sway people from further spreading the virus and control the surge in cases. Some social media users, however, have disproved the news report by stating that they have had no such complication of an erectile dysfunction after recovery, while others have questioned why other continents have not reported on it and expressed how this is a sheer obsession of Africans with amplifying sex-related discussions.

Nonetheless, as noted by some fairly-informed commentators, erectile dysfunction as a possible COVID-19 complication is not only ‘an African thing’, neither is it the only complication that is expected to be experienced by every recovered patient.

Verification

In the Starr FM and JoyOnline news reports that have set the agenda for the conversation, the information was disclosed by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). It is noteworthy that in the news reports, the Vice President of the GMA, Dr. Frank Serebour, stated that there are nation-wide complaints from a lot of recovered patients about experiencing post-recovery erectile dysfunction requiring attention and  treatment. 

The news reports added that further enquiries from the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang, also shows that the correlation between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19 pertaining to Ghana is yet to be confirmed and established through research and empirical data.

Notwithstanding, research and reports from across the world show that medical professionals are facing similar observations of erectile dysfunction as a possible COVID-19 complication.

For example, in a NBC LX news report in Chicago, United States, which was also similarly reported by DW in Germany, an infectious disease expert, Dr. Dena Grayson, cautioned on how a mild case of the virus has potential of causing long-term complications including erectile dysfunction. She explained that this is because the virus affects tissues in the vasculature.

Similarly, the reports showed that the link between COVID-19 and the male reproductive system may be caused by the damage to the vascular and respiratory systems of COVID-19 patients.

Furthermore, a study, ‘Addressing male sexual and reproductive health in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak’, published in 2020 in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, found evidence of the potential of the onset of Erectile Dysfunction as a COVID-19 complication by reviewing several similar studies conducted on male COVID-19 recovered patients in the United States, Asia, and Europe. 

The study explained this as follows:

“It is well established that ACE2 is the entry point for the SARS-CoV-2 in host cells. In males, adult Leydig cells express this enzyme, therefore, suggesting that testicular damage can occur following infection . Testicular damage in COVID-19 might, therefore, induce a state of hypogonadism as proven by decreased testosterone-to-LH ratio in patients with COVID-19, suggestive of impaired steroidogenesis resulting from subclinical testicular dysfunction. Post-mortem examinations of testicular tissue from 12 COVID-19 patients showed significantly reduced Leydig cells, as well as edema and inflammation in the interstitium. A recent report on 31 male COVID-19 patients in Italy identified that some patients developed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism following the onset of the disease. In the same study, lower levels of serum testosterone (total and free) acted as predictors of poor prognosis in SARS-CoV-2 men. Whether this state of hypogonadism is permanent or temporary is a question so far left unanswered. Testosterone acts as a modulator for endothelial function and suppresses inflammation by increasing levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-10) and reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. It can, therefore, be hypothesized that suppression of testosterone levels might be one of the reasons for the large difference in terms of mortality and hospitalization rate between males and females and might also explain why SARS-CoV-2 most commonly infects old men”

Consequently, the study recommended the need for assessment and treatment to be followed up on this finding. 

However, we find that neither the World Health Organisation nor the Centre for Disease Control  has listed erectile dysfunction (or general effects on sexual reproductive system) as a confirmed COVID-19 complication as yet, in spite of evidence from available research from medical experts across the world and complaints from  many affected recovered male patients about erectile dysfunction. 

Conclusion

The claims by the Ghana Medical Association that recovered COVID-19 patients are experiencing erectile dysfunction are not unfounded. This is derived from the complaints of a lot of recovered patients across the country. Furthermore, news reports and research across the world also give evidence to link between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19 infections in males. However, the Ghana Health Service is yet to confirm and establish erectile dysfunction as a COVID-19 complication, just as the WHO or CDC has not listed erectile dysfunction as a COVID-19 complication yet. It is premature to declare this claim false or true, until there is an update from the WHO on links between Covid-19 infected males and erectile dysfunction.

CLAIM: A viral WhatsApp message link claims the WHO is giving out 500 Euros support.

FALSE. The claim that the WHO is giving out 500 Euros as support fund is false as analysis of the link shows the website is a new website and has no link with the WHO. The WHO has also distanced itself from the link in a statement.

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A link going viral on WhatsApp with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) logo claims that the WHO is giving out 500 Euros support. 

Verification

Dubawa opened the link to see what the website holds and followed the instructions. The link, once opened, has a congratulatory message on top which reads, “congratulations you have been selected to benefit from the support provided by the World Health Organization for 500 Euros”

After this message comes another instruction that requires one to answer three questions before one can benefit. The first question seeks to know your business type with three options; official, worker, and unemployment.  Any option you pick leads to the second question which seeks to know your marital status with three options; single, married, and divorced.  Similarly, whatever option you pick leads to the third question which seeks to know your age group; 18-30, 30-40 and 40-70.

This shows this site is a phishing website seeking details of people.

Below these questions on the site are comments by users who claimed to have either received the support fund or gotten the code.

After answering all three questions, your answers are reviewed and a pop-up message tells you how much your subsidy amount has been set at and requires you to complete the steps by sharing to five groups or persons on WhatsApp after which you can now click get withdrawal code. The request to share to WhatsApp is also a characteristic of phishing sites.

Going through the websites and following the instructions, Dubawa noted several red flags. First red flag was the link address which did not contain the organisation’s name like its official website and other WHO related sites do. Also Dubawa checked the website on duplichecker, and found the website is less than a month old as it was created on December 28, 2020.

Another red flag is the grammatical errors found on the website from the congratulatory message, to the question on the business type which had unemployment as an option instead of unemployed, to the question on relationship status that gives the option divorce instead of divorced.

Dubawa also reached out to the WHO for answers. The organisation released a statement on Monday January 4, 2021, distancing itself from the link.

“A link claiming that the World Health Organization (WHO) is offering 500 EUR ($US 615) in benefits to people who answer three questions is a scam.

This fraudulent scheme asks for personal information on individuals and despite using the WHO logo is not in any way associated with the organization.”

Excerpt of the WHO statement.

The WHO warned the public to be wary of such deception and not send money or personal information to anyone or any site claiming to be awarding funds, jobs, grants, scholarships, or other benefits on the behalf of WHO.

The organisation also provided a link where the public can report scams.

Conclusion

The claim that the WHO is giving out 500 Euros is False. Dubawa’s check and analysis of the site show this and this was supported by a statement from the WHO organisation.

Rawlings was seen during his mother’s funeral with no mask and no social distancing.

The video which the claim references is an old video from 2016 where Rawlings and his wife attended an Achimota School event. 

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News of the death of former president of Ghana, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, was announced by President Akufo-Addo last week. 

While Akufo-Addo only stated that the former president’s passing was due to a short illness, other reports are suggesting that the former president died from COVID-19. It is on this basis that information surfacing the media space state freely that the former president was seen at his mother’s funeral without observing COVID-19 protocols.

One of such claims accompanied by a video of Rawlings dancing has circulated on WhatsApp. 

The Whatsapp message reads:

‘’Check out the above. Rawlings is seen above during his mother’s funeral with no mask and no social distancing. A week later was admitted for Covid-19 and now Requiem for him. Please don’t joke; observe all Covid 19 protocols. Stay alive!’’

Verification:

In the 35-second video that is associated with the claim, it is observed that Rawlings was wearing a black and white Achimota School print shirt together with his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, and not a funeral cloth as expected.

Further checks show that the video was reported four years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the news report dated 8 March 2016, it proves to be a video of Rawlings dancing Agbadza at Achimota School’s 1966/67 year group’s 50th anniversary celebration. 

Additionally, on the occasion of Rawling’s mother’s funeral on the 24 October 2020, Rawlings was seen in a black shirt (not in a white or black and white shirt) and he was seen wearing a black mask. 

Conclusion:

The claim that Rawlings was seen in a video during his mother’s funeral with no mask and no social distancing is false. The video associated with the claim is an old video from 2016 before the COVID-19 pandemic, where the late former president and his wife attended a 1966/67 Achimota School year group 50th anniversary event. The video has no link with Rawlings’ mother’s funeral which happened last month.

The headline of a news article claims ‘nobody truly recovers from COVID-19’

COVID-19 patients recover from the virus but some may suffer some health complications. That aside, the headline of the news story is misleading as the source cited was misrepresented and did not state that.

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COVID-19 has given health practitioners new experiences in their field of work. An example of such experience with COVID-19 is one recounted in a tweet by a nurse as the worst disease she has ever worked with, as she further stated some effects of the virus on a recovered patient. The tweet has also been shared on Facebook and has received several interactions.

A news story which reported on the nurse’s statements on the effects of the virus has a headline claiming that “Nobody truly recovers from COVID-19”, attributing the said claim to the nurse.

Verification

In the tweet by the Twitter user Cherie Antoinette that the media organisation referenced, the nurse did not state that nobody truly recovers from COVID-19. What she did was to list a number of complications she claimed that one may suffer from the virus even after recovery, which she said most people are not privy to. 

“COVID 19 is the worst disease process I’ve ever worked with in my eight years as an ICU nurse. When they say “recovered” they don’t tell you that that means you may need a lung transplant. Or that you may come back after d/c (discharge) with a massive heart attack or stroke bc (because) COVID makes  your blood thick as hell. Or that you may have to be on oxygen for the rest of your life. COVID is designed to kill. It is a highly intelligent virus and it attacks everything. We will run out of resources if we don’t continue to flatten the  curve. I’m exhausted,” she tweeted.

More so, Dubawa reached out to Cherie Antoinette, who is a nurse at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Northside Atlanta and Grady Memorial Hospitals, and received an in-depth narration of the nurse’s experience with the readmission of a previous mild case of a COVID-19 patient – an experience she acknowledged was the cause of her tweet stemming from exhaustion and frustration. 

She recounted to Dubawa her experience with a mild COVID-19 patient who was readmitted with graver complications. The patient was readmitted with a heart attack and cardiogenic shock. Additionally, his foot was completely black and blue from a newly developed clot which she said were complications from COVID-19. 

“The unknown nature of the inflammatory process and the severity of the case is just uncertain. We must take all precautions to prevent infection. We can not get relaxed or complacent in our social distancing and hand-washing. Donning a mask is crucial. A once thought singular infection is proving to be a more sinister chronic process. There is just so much we don’t know about this virus or the long-term implications. That warrants great caution’’, Cherie stated.

We also interviewed a Ghanaian doctor with Tantra Community Clinic, Dr Senyo Misroame, who threw light on the nurse’s tweet. 

“She is not wrong in saying that. What she means to say is that the patient could have some complications even after recovering from the virus. Because you can recover from COVID-19 but later have some complications, which does not affect the patient’s recovery status. There is a difference, ” Dr Misroame said. 

He further explained that to recover from the virus means the patient does not show signs and symptoms of the virus, and there is also evidence of laboratory tests proving that the patient does not have the virus anymore, which confirms such patients as negative.

“When we use recovery in the strictest medical sense, it means there is not an active viral presence of COVID-19 in you anymore,” he said.

“However, we have found that there are some that could have immediate, medium or long-term complications after their recovery, such as stroke, their blood vessels getting thinner, respiratory problems, long term brain damage, just as the nurse indicated. We are still learning,” Dr Misroame added. 

Dr Misroame also clarified that if anyone is said not to have recovered, they are the patients who are described to have a case of Chronic COVID-19 which usually lasts beyond 6 weeks and even 6 months of testing positive. However, people do recover from COVID-19 although it is possible that some who do, may develop some complications either early or late.

Additionally, medical research has indicated complications associated with COVID-19 affecting the organs of patients long-term. For example, a study published by the American Heart Association showed that recovered COVID-19 patients could be affected with chronic cardiac complications due to persistent inflammation caused by the virus. 

Another study published by the Radiological Society of North America found that 66 out of 70 Wuhan COVID-19 discharged patients had lung abnormalities from their last CT scan results over a month after their discharges from the hospital. 

In view of this, a public health study published by the US National Institute of Health conducted on the post-recovery status of COVID-19 patients made some recommendations. The study showed possible complications some recovered patients may have, as a result of a multi-organ damage on the brain, heart, lungs, kidney, eyes and digestive tract, caused by the virus, and recommended the need to follow-up on recovered patients to have a  more comprehensive view of the virus and allow for timely medical interventions. 

“People who have recovered from COVID-19 should be more careful in maintaining and monitoring their health status. They have to be in regular monitoring for their future complications that may occur after their recovery. Hence, the recovered patients are recommended to complete a master health check-up to scout for risks for other diseases”, the study recommended.

Conclusion

The headline of the news report that nobody truly recovers from COVID-19 is misleading. The original post by the nurse on Twitter, which was referenced by the media organisation, only listed a number of complications that could be associated with the virus even after recovery. 

A Ghanaian medical doctor further explained the nurse’s statements by stating that recovering from COVID-19 is different from having complications from COVID-19. By explaining recovery as no longer having an active presence of the virus, the doctor stated that there are people who recover from the virus with no complications, while others also recover from the virus but could derive some early or late complications, which does not affect their COVID-19 recovery status in any way.

PS: This article has been updated to include a response by Cherie Antoinette, the Twitter user whose tweet was the basis of the claim.

Ghana has one of the highest numbers of tests conducted for COVID-19 on the African continent -President Akufo-Addo 

An official from WHO Ghana has confirmed Ghana to be among African countries testing in high numbers on the continent. Furthermore, available data for eleven other African countries in comparison with Ghana, also prove this assertion to be true.

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Health experts have shown the importance of testing for COVID-19 in order to help isolate or hospitalize and treat infected people, as well as to help identify the prevalence, spread and contagiousness of the virus in the community. 

It is in this light that in a recent update on measures taken to combat the spread of Coronavirus, President Akufo-Addo stated the government of Ghana’s efforts to reduce the number of cases through tracing, testing and treating. 

He highlighted that the total number of tests conducted in Ghana as at 13 June 2020, was 254, 331- a number which he stated was one of the highest on the African continent, especially in relation to Ghana’s population of 31 million. 

Verification

Dubawa spoke to an official from the WHO office in Ghana who confirmed the claim:

“Oh yes, Ghana is one of the countries testing high numbers in Africa’’

News reports here, here, here, reveal that testing rates in Africa are generally low as most African countries were not conducting tests for COVID-19 due to a number of constraints.  

Yet, for some that were testing, Dubawa found data available on the total tests conducted as at 13 June 2020 for the following twelve African countries, with their corresponding population. 

This is because, experts here, here, here, here indicate that the population of a country is a factor considered to indicate a country’s testing rate.

Country	Total tests conducted as of 13 June 2020	Population	Tests Per 1000 population(test/(population/1000))
Mauritius	142,889	1,271,768	112.354
Djibouti	40,855	988,000	41.351
South Africa	1,087,887	59,308,690	18.342
Ghana	254,331	31,072,940	8.184
Rwanda	87,656	12,952,218	6.767
Tunisia	59,887	11,818,619	5.067
Senegal	60,286	16,743,927	4.654
Uganda	125,491	45,741,007	2.743
Kenya	112,171	53,771,296	2.086
Zimbabwe	24,010	14,862,924	1.615
Ethiopia	176,504	114,963,588	1.535
Nigeria	90,464	206,139,589	0.438

Based on available data as of 13 June 2020 on the above twelve African countries, the testing rates show that Ghana is among the countries with high total tests conducted in Africa.

Conclusion

The President of Ghana’s statement that Ghana’s total tests conducted (254,331) for COVID-19 as at 13 June, 2020 is one of the highest on the African continent is true. 

Ghana ranks 4th out of 12 African countries with available figures on testing of citizens. An official from the World Health Organisation in Ghana has confirmed that Ghana is among countries in Africa testing high numbers. 

Moreover, available data from eleven other African countries prove this assertion.

Confirmed cases are suspected cases of Covid-19 whereas those declared positive are people who actually have the Covid-19 virus. 

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are considered as confirmed cases. 

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During a late-night discussion on UTV’s Late News Discussion on May 24, 2020, Kwame Baffoe Abronye, NPP Regional Chairman for Bono East, stated that coronavirus cases declared or placed under the ‘confirmed’ bracket actually refers to suspected cases while those under the ‘positive’ bracket are cases that have been taken through the necessary procedures and found to be carrying the coronavirus. 

This claim was posted on Facebook and has so far garnered 6.3K views and 135 shares since the video was posted some 21 hours ago.

“…the doctors say that when you see “confirmed”, it means they suspect but that doesn’t mean that the person has the coronavirus. Once you see that it means they suspect you have it, it doesn’t mean you have. We also have positive…we have three things: we have confirmed, positive and we have death. When you see “confirmed” it means it has gotten to the stage where they quarantine you to see if you have the disease in your system...We had the experts…we’ve had the former Director-General, Dr Nsiah-Asare, explain to us that when we see confirmed it does not mean the person has tested positive but that “confirmed” means we suspect it,” Mr Abronye said.

When asked by the host of the show if the word “confirmed” really means a person does not have Covid-19, Mr Abronye responded that it depends on the interpretation one wants to give it. 

But what do experts mean by “confirmed” in relation to Covid-19 cases?

Verification

Dubawa spoke to Dr James Aboagye, a postdoctoral fellow at the Noguchi Memorial Centre, who stated that from the Noguchi’s end, a confirmed case is a case that has tested positive. 

“A confirmed case is a positive case because what we are looking for is the virus and once a person is confirmed, he or she is positive for the virus,” Dr Aboagye said.

He further stated that unlike suspected cases where the individual is assumed or thought to have the virus, confirmed cases are for scenarios where the individual tests positive for the virus after tests have been run. 

The Public Relations Officer of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Jacob Andoh, said a person who has been tested and found positive is the same as a confirmed case. 

“A confirmed case is the same as a positive case,” Mr Andoh said.

Case definitions or classifications for diagnosis

The WHO case classifications are categorized into suspected cases, probable cases and confirmed cases.

Suspected Case refers to three situations: 1) a patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and a history of travel to or residence in a location reporting community transmission of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to symptom onset; 2) a patient with any acute respiratory illness and has been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the last 14 days prior to symptom onset; and 3) a patient with severe acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath, requiring hospitalization) and in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that fully explains the clinical presentation. 

Probable Case: A suspect case for whom testing for the COVID-19 virus is inconclusive or a suspect case for whom testing could not be performed for any reason. 

Confirmed Case: A person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms. 

The CDC also categorises Covid-19 diagnoses into three stages: 

Person Under Investigation: This is a person who has exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 and is in the process of being tested. 

Presumptive Positive: This is an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 at a state or local laboratory. At least one respiratory sample must be positive for a case to be labelled presumptive positive.

Confirmed Positive: This is a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at a CDC laboratory. At least one respiratory sample must be positive by the CDC for it to be labelled confirmed positive. 

In Ghana, reports on the coronavirus surveillance are based on the confirmed cases, recoveries, and deaths as seen on the GHS website. Confirmed cases have been regarded as positive cases and not suspected as claimed by Mr Abronye.

Conclusion

Therefore, Mr Abroye’s incorrect claim on the definition of ‘confirmed’ cases is a misleading semantic confusion that should be disregarded. 

WHO’s classifications are unambiguous and remain the standard for the whole world facing the same virus. The denotative meaning of the word confirm in English–British or American–dictionary is semantically too distant from ‘suspect’ in standard English usage. 

Let’s use traditional medicine to cure COVID-19 because China used just ‘SOBOLO’ to cure theirs.

The claim is inaccurate. The hibiscus flower has not been proven or approved as a singular cure for the coronavirus and China has not ‘cured’ the virus by using the plant. The articles cited in the viral video did not name hibiscus (sobolo) as a coronavirus cure.

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A drink or tea made from hibiscus flower, known in Ghana as sobolo and in Nigeria as sobo/zobo, according to a viral video, has been used by China to cure the novel coronavirus, Covid-19. 

The video, which we also found on One Ghana TV via Facebook showed the Executive Director for Soul Health and Wellness Center, Nana Okogyedom Ntim-Barimah, popularly known as Oheneba, in an interview with Kofi Adomah Nwanwani of Kofi TV. 

The video was captioned “Lets use traditional medicine to cure COVID-19, because China used just ‘SOBOLO’ to cure theirs.”

In the interview, Nana Ntim-Barimah claimed the Chinese used ‘sobolo’ to cure the COVID-19 and called on Ghanaians to do the same.  

“These people are deceiving us. They are deceiving us seriously because they have made up their minds to use us as their market…Do you know sobolo? It is the hibiscus flower that is called Sobolo. The Chinese are using it to treat coronavirus and we are sitting here waiting for WHO to say a medicine has been found. May God have mercy on Africans,” Nana Ntim-Berimah said.

The video has been shared over 8500 times on One Ghana TV alone and has 104,475 views on YouTube.

In the video, Nana Ntim-Berimah refers to two articles which he suggests have information on the use of the flower as a cure for the coronavirus in China. Dubawa checked this claim.

Verification

There is widespread use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by China to treat Covid-19.  Information available indicates that TCMs are highly valued by the Chinese government and have been recommended by its health ministry to be used together with conventional medicine in the treatment of Covid-19. 

On 17 February, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that 85.20% of the 60,107 confirmed cases at the time had been treated with TCM.

A YouTube live news post by CGTN also showed how Chinese frontline doctors in China are using TCM to fight the coronavirus pandemic.  According to this video, TCM has proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19 cases in China and has also been found effective when complemented with western medicine. The video also states that 90.6% of COVID-19 patients have been given TCM treatment in Hubei. 

Sequel to this, advocates of traditional medicines and herbs have called on the government of Ghana to follow the Chinese example and consider using some traditional medicines in the treatment of patients.

Delving into the Claim

Two articles were mentioned and referred to by Nana Ntim-Berimah in the video which he credits for the information on hibiscus as effective cure for coronavirus in Ghana, as it has been in the case of China.

The first one, “Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective” published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences discusses the beneficial effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use in the treatment of the 2019-nCov as, according to the study, more than 85% of infected people in China are being treated with TCM.  

Dubawa found that the article does not mention that the hibiscus flower has been used for the treatment of Covid-19 in China. In fact, hibiscus is not mentioned in the article at all.

The article does, however, note that some TCMs have been used in treating Covid-19 patients in a protocol that involves clinical trials to ascertain their effectiveness.

What is important to note here is that these TCMs are composites of various herbs and tackle various symptoms which may be related to covid-19. For instance, the Yu Ping Feng San TCM formula contains Astragali radix (Astragalus root), Astragalus membranaceus( Astragalus flower), Atractylodes macrocephala, and Saposhnikoviae Radix which helps in protecting against external pathogens and have antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects.  

Furthermore, different TCMs are stated to be used for different conditions. For instance, for fatigue and fever, TCM recommended by the 6^Th edition Guidelines of Diagnosis and Treatment for COVID-19 is Lian Hua Qing Wen Capsule, Shu Feng Jie Du Capsule, and Jin Hua Qing Gan Capsule. This differs from Shen Fu Injection which could inhibit the inflammation of the lungs. 

No singular herb or medication was identified to cure Covid-19.

The article cautions that most of the clinical studies to test the efficacy of TCMs are poorly designed and that the results could lead to potential biases in evaluating the effectiveness of TCM treatment. It further states that herbs used in TCM may mimic, or magnify, or counter the effects of conventional medicines, therefore calling for further evaluation of the safety of TCM. 

The second article, High antiviral effects of hibiscus tea extract on the H5 subtypes of low and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, was published in May 2016 and has nothing to do with the novel coronavirus. The study was conducted by a group of scientists in Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. 

In fact, the article talks of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and how some selected tea extracts, including the hibiscus tea, had effects on the H5N1 HPAIV. 

The abstract of the article also shows that Nana Ntim-Barimah left out the part that said the herbs were screened against the H5N1 HPAIV in vitro.  

According to information from the CDC, the H5N1 HPAIV is a virus that mainly occurs in birds and was first detected in humans in 1997 during a poultry outbreak in Hong Kong. Symptoms of H5N1 in humans may include fever (often high fever, > 38°C) and malaise, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. Other early symptoms may also include abdominal pain, chest pain and diarrhea. They further state that the infection may progress quickly to severe respiratory illness (for example, difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) and neurologic changes (altered mental status or seizures).

Although symptoms of the H5N1 virus are similar to the novel coronavirus, they are not the same virus. Furthermore, the study was not conducted on the novel coronavirus, thus making the reference to coronavirus as proof of its efficacy in curing covid-19 baseless.

Upon further attention to the video, some disparities are noticed. For instance, Nana Ntim-Berimah speaks about boosting the immune system as a way to fight the virus.  This, he links to the use of the hibiscus tea, brewed together with other spices like cloves and ginger among others. In this regard, it seems he is lending credence to the importance of a strong immune system in fighting the coronavirus. This does not point directly and solely to “sobolo” as a cure to coronavirus.

Dubawa’s efforts to contact Nana Ntim-Berimah for comments have been unsuccessful till now. We will, however, update this article when we eventually get through to him.

Could the hibiscus tea be the Covid-19 Cure?

Dubawa found that although hibiscus tea was not explicitly mentioned in the first article referred to by Nana Ntim-Berimah as a Covid-19 cure, it may be useful in treating viral infections as seen in the second article. 

Based on the similarities between the symptoms of the two pathogens, correlations can be established on the strength of another study conducted. According to this study, the hibiscus extract (Hibiscus L. Sabdariffa) inhibited viral replication and the expression of viral antigens and genes. The hibiscus tea showed the most notable antiviral effects against both H5 HPAIV and Low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV). The plant is therefore recommended as a potent anti-influenza drug. 

Conclusion

No specific treatment has been identified as cure for COVID-19. Indeed, alternative medicine is being used by countries like China in their fight against the virus and may be a useful venture for other countries to follow. According to information from China, TCM is proving successful in COVID-19 treatment. However, these TCMs are being subjected to clinical trials and outcomes are being awaited.

Furthermore, WHO, the organisation at the forefront of information regarding the pandemic, has not recommended any specific medicines to treat or cure COVID-19. 

Ghana Health Service announces 100 per cent Covid-19 recovery rate – adepanews.com

The Ghana Health Service says it has NOT reported a 100 per cent recovery rate among confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ghana.

Full Text

Worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic has hit very hard. According to World Health Organisation data, the global cases confirmed so far are 1 282 931 with 72 774 confirmed deaths.

On March 28, 2020, adepanews.com reported that the Ghana Health Service announced a 100 per cent recovery rate among patients that were infected by the disease in the country.

With the headline “COVID-19: Ghana health Service announces 100% recovery rate”, the report indicated that the Ghana Health Service had announced that “the recovering rate of the infected persons has doubled and its now mentioned 100% increase.”

Dubawa checked and found the claim made by the news outlet to be false.

Verification

To ascertain the truth behind the claim on the recovery rate of infected persons in Ghana, Dubawa spoke to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Health Service,  Jacob Andoh. 

According to Mr Andoh, the news is false as no such information was ever released by the Ghana Health Service. 

“Any figure that comes out and cannot be found on our website is false. Please disregard it. We entreat everybody to cross-check any data or information from our website,” Mr Andoh said.

Further checks on the Ghana Health service website revealed that no such statement of Ghana recording a 100 per cent recovery rate has been made concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.  

As of March 28, 2020, when adepanews.com reported the claim, information available on the Ghana Health Service Covid19 dedicated website indicated that a total of 141 cases had been confirmed nationwide. The website further stated that two people had recovered and had been discharged, while 14 were being managed at home. At the time, four deaths had been recorded. Additionally, 87 were reported to be responding well to treatment and two were in critical condition. 

Current Covid-19 Situation In Ghana

According to Ghana Health Service, Ghana currently has a total of 287 confirmed cases as of April 7, 2020.  Of the total number recorded, three have fully recovered, 49 have been discharged and are undergoing home management. A total of 228 have been reported to be well and responding to treatment while two are moderately ill. Five deaths have been reported in the country so far, all having been identified to have had underlying chronic medical conditions prior to COVID-19 infection.

Conclusion

The Ghana Health Service did not say the recovery rate of Ghanaians with confirmed cases of coronavirus is 100 per cent. The information published by adepanews,com is, therefore, false. 

Noguchi approves Ghana-made drug to fight Coronavirus – media reports

Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research says it has not approved COA FS as a cure for COVID-19

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Some Ghanaian Internet users have had their expectations heightened over the last couple of weeks regarding a locally manufactured drug- COA FS which was purported to be a potential cure for coronavirus, by the headlines of some media outlets. 

News websites such as Daily Mail Africa, and social media posts such as We Rep Ghana on Instagram have had headlines that stated that COA FS has been approved by the Noguchi Memorial Institute (Ghana’s leading biomedical research institute) to fight Coronavirus. 

However, in all the stories, contrary to their headlines, the news items emphatically stated that the drug was undergoing trials by the Food and Drugs Authority and other stakeholders, and no conclusion had been made as yet. The Director of Noguchi is quoted in the stories as follows: 

“…we are in the process of putting together the clinical results before we are able to say this medicine is good and can even be exported for HIV, Covid-19 or any viral disease. We want to make sure that COA FS is properly tested and assessed. We actually have a process ongoing with a comprehensive stakeholder approach with the Food and Drugs Authority, Centre for Plant Medicine and others. For now, the medicine is registered as an immune booster and as an immune booster, we know that for Covid-19 if you have a stronger immune system then there is a better chance of surviving.”

Verification

Dubawa contacted the Noguchi Memorial Institute to get a clear understanding of its stance. On 6 April 2020, following numerous calls from Dubawa regarding the issue, the Institute issued an official statement on their Twitter account, stressing that it “has not independently tested or verified that COA FS can treat COVID-19.” 

Similarly, the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority had on their official Twitter handle on 5 April 2020 urged the public to “disregard any such information making the rounds”.

Likewise, the manufacturers of the COA FS drug, the Centre of Awareness Global Peace Mission, issued a disclaimer on 15 March 2020 on their official website stating that contrary to the claims published by some media outlets, COA FS is not a cure for coronavirus. They added that the company only appealed to the government and research institutions to ascertain its effectiveness against the COVID-19, as the drug is a food supplement that boosts the immune system.

Conclusion

The Food and Drugs Authority and the Noguchi Memorial Institute have refuted claims stating that COA FS has been ‘approved by the Noguchi Institute Memorial Institute as a cure for COVID-19’. The manufacturers have only asked for the drug to be tested for its effectiveness as an immune booster against the virus. The headlines of some media outlets are misleading and contradictory of the suggestion by the manufacturers and the statements of the Director of Noguchi.