Incidental finding of COVID-19 infection amongst staff at a primary care facility in Ghana

Vandyck-Sey, P.; Amoh, Gordon; Essuman, Akye; Lawson, Henry

doi:10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2669

Cited by 9 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Majority of patients were asymptomatic in both groups, 29 (58%) in the first wave, and 36 (72%) in the second wave infections as shown in Table 1 . This finding is consistent with that recorded by Vandyke-Sey et al [ 21 ]. Both groups demonstrated a lack of symptoms in patients younger than 30 years old, and older than 79 years old.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

“…The gender distribution patterns are depicted in Figure 1 and show that for both groups there were more males than females. This contrasts the findings of Vandyke-Sey et al [ 21 ], but is consistent with updates from the Ghana Health Service [ 21 , 22 ]. The age of the study participants ranged from 14 to 84 years with a mean of 51.8 ± 15.6 years ( Figure 2 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

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Comparing radiological presentations of first and second strains of COVID-19 infections in a low-resource country

Brakohiapa¹,

Sarkodie²,

Botwe³

et al. 2021

Heliyon

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Introduction The novel corona virus popularly referred to as COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. In Ghana, the first two cases of COVID-19 infection were recorded on March 13, 2020 with a strain imported from Europe. In December 2020, a new strain from South Africa was detected in Ghana which was associated with higher transmission rates, severity of the disease, and higher number of recorded deaths. Our study aimed to record notable differences and similarities between infections due to the initial, and second strains of COVID-19 infections detected in Ghana during the last 12-months. Method This was a retrospective study involving 50 patients infected with the first strain, and another 50 patients infected with the second strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Microsoft Excel-2013 was the analytical tool. Results The data analysis supported publications suggesting that the new strain of the virus caused more severe infections, which were manifested on high resolution CT (HRCT) scans as more widespread alveolar disease, most commonly presenting as large areas of consolidation. Conclusion Despite numerous similarities in terms of the manifestation of COVID-19 infection on HRCT scans, notable difference supporting the notion of increased virulence and severity of disease were also recorded. The study findings demonstrate the need for heightened and sustained preventive measures needed to reduce, and eventually curb COVID-19 infection and mortality rates associated with the introduction of new virulent strains.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Comparing radiological presentations of first and second strains of COVID-19 infections in a low-resource country

Brakohiapa¹,

Sarkodie²,

Botwe³

et al. 2021

Heliyon

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“…6 Sunanda Ray and Robert Mash services, to reduce the risk of infection and free up capacity to respond to the expected surge of patients with respiratory problems (Furstenburg et al, 2020;Mash, Goliath & Perez, 2020;Motlhatlhedi et al, 2020;Vandyck-Sey et al, 2020). A PHC facility readiness checklist was adapted from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and used in Cape Town to assess the readiness of the PHC system across key inputs and service delivery domains.…”

Section: Internal Medicine Zimbabwementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Facilities attempted to comply with essential infection control methods: hand washing/sanitisation, physical distancing, use of face masks and other PPE as appropriate (Motlhatlhedi et al, 2020;Oseni et al, 2020;Vandyck-Sey et al, 2020). Most facilities attempted to separate patients into PUI with respiratory symptoms in a 'hot' stream and those without any symptoms into a 'cold' stream.…”

Section: Internal Medicine Zimbabwementioning

confidence: 99%

Innovation in primary health care responses to COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ray

Mash

2021

Prim Health Care Res Dev

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Background: In May 2020, the African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine invited submissions on lessons learnt from responses to the COVID-19 pandemic from primary care providers in Africa. This included descriptions of innovations and good practices, the management of COVID-19 in district health services and responses of communities to the outbreak. Aim: To synthesise the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Africa region. Methods: A thematic document analysis was conducted on twenty-seven short report publications from Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Findings: Eight major themes were derived from the data: community-based activities; screening and testing; reorganisation of health services; emergency care for COVID-19; maintenance of essential non-COVID-19 health services; caring for the vulnerable; use of information technology; and reframing training opportunities. Community health workers were a vital community resource, delivering medications and other supplies to homes, as well as following up on patients with chronic conditions. More investment in community partnerships and social mobilisation was proposed. Difficulties with procurement of test kits and turn-around times were constraints for most countries. Authors described how services were reorganised for focused COVID-19 activities, sometimes to the detriment of essential services and training of junior doctors. Innovations in use of internet technology for communication and remote consultations were explored. The contribution of family medicine principles in upholding the humanity of patients and their families, clear leadership and planning, multidisciplinary teamwork and continuity of care was emphasised even in the context of providing critical care. Conclusions: The community-orientated primary care approach was emphasised as well as long-term benefits of technological innovations. The pandemic exposed the need to deliver on governmental commitments to strengthening primary health care and universal health coverage.

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“… 4 Another study from Ghana found a high rate of COVID-19 among staff at a primary care clinic. 30 Although nosocomial transmission has been documented, no studies were found that evaluated the role of cohorting HCWs in reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.…”

Section: Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pragmatic Recommendations for Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Healthcare Facilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cobb

Papali

Pisani³

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies are key in preventing nosocomial transmission of COVID-19. Several commonly used IPC practices are resource-intensive and may be challenging to implement in resource-constrained settings. An international group of healthcare professionals from or with experience in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) searched the literature for relevant evidence. We report on a set of pragmatic recommendations for hospital-based IPC practices in resource-constrained settings of LMICs. For cases of confirmed or suspected COVID-19, we suggest that patients be placed in a single isolation room, whenever possible. When single isolation rooms are unavailable or limited, we recommend cohorting patients with COVID-19 on dedicated wards or in dedicated hospitals. We also recommend that cases of suspected COVID-19 be cohorted separately from those with confirmed disease, whenever possible, to minimize the risk of patient-to-patient transmission in settings where confirmatory testing may be limited. We suggest that healthcare workers be designated to care exclusively for patients with COVID-19, whenever possible, as another approach to minimize nosocomial spread. This approach may also be beneficial in conserving limited supplies of reusable personal protective equipment (PPE). We recommend that visitors be restricted for patients with COVID-19. In settings where family members or visitors are necessary for caregiving, we recommend that the appropriate PPE be used by visitors. We also recommend that education regarding hand hygiene and donning/doffing procedures for PPE be provided. Last, we suggest that all visitors be screened for symptoms before visitation and that visitor logs be maintained.

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Incidental finding of COVID-19 infection amongst staff at a primary care facility in Ghana

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Comparing radiological presentations of first and second strains of COVID-19 infections in a low-resource country

Comparing radiological presentations of first and second strains of COVID-19 infections in a low-resource country

Innovation in primary health care responses to COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Pragmatic Recommendations for Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Healthcare Facilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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