Head of Virology at the Noguchi Medical Research Institute, Prof. William Ampofo has said they are expecting to receive a shipment of coronavirus test kits by next week.

This consignment will provide a boost for Ghana’s efforts towards the early detection of suspected cases in the country.

The World Health Organization has identified Ghana and 12 others as high-risk African countries for the deadly corona virus disease, after death toll from the disease rose to 304.

Speaking on the Ultimate Health show on Joy FM, Prof Ampofo said international laboratories are on standby to assist in testing and screening of suspected cases.

“We are actually expecting the shipment of the new coronavirus kit so I am very confident that by next week Noguchi will be providing testing. As at now, we have a chain of international laboratories who will be able to provide confirmation should we pick up any suspected cases,” Prof Ampofo said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Nebraska Medical Centre and Infectious Disease specialist, Dr Bertha Ayi is also advocating a review of travel history data for travelers from China to Ghana as a measure of averting an outbreak of the deadly disease.

She added that, other structures could be put in place to allow any traveler from China into Ghana within the past 14 days to “quarantine themselves”.

This among other alternatives, she believes, will help the country prevent the disease adding that: “If we can  prevent it, we don’t have to wait till it enters the country before we try to contain it.”