As Ghana's Covid-19 cases increase, pooling samples cannot continue - Virologist

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A virologist at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) has revealed that as the number of Covid-19 cases increases, pooling samples to test suspected cases for the disease cannot continue.

Dr Michael Owusu said this is because the methodology has limitations.

He explained on Joy FM’s Ultimate Health show on Sunday that once the prevalence rate is high, “there will be no use as every sample pooled will be positive.”

“As the numbers begin to increase we cannot continue to do pooling. Noguchi and KCCR will revert to our earlier testing capacity, which is based on individual testing and that is the limitation,” he added.

The virologist also revealed that in the coming weeks or months the country's capacity for testing will reduce, “if we don’t increase the testing sites and don’t bring in more equipment.”

Noguchi Medical Research Institute and KCCR have been the two major test sites in the country which test for Covid-19 cases since Ghana recorded its first two cases which were imported.

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Dr Michael Owusu

Pooling

Ultimate Health