Professor Peter Twumasi - Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) has said although the new Corona viral infection is impacting on the rising global mortality of affected people, health experts should not overlook the significance of other diseases and conditions in recorded deaths.
In an article written by Prof. Twumasi who is a Biochemist/Biotechnologist and copied to the GNA Sports, he expressed worry over the suspension of OPD services in some hospitals, whilst some have refused to admit new patients of other ailments due to the widespread of the virus.
He was worried that people with other diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases were receiving less or no care at all, a situation he noted could be a cause for the death of many patients, who are battling with the virus.
According to Prof. Twumasi, the current SARS CoV-2 testing methodology, where a person tested positive does not necessarily indicate the level of severity of the disease in the person.
"It also does not specifically indicate that a positive result show the presence of the new SARS CoV-2 virus as other viruses especially from the corona virus family, which are not pathogenic and could be present too.
"It therefore appears to me that the panic in our health system and society arising from people testing positive for the virus may rather result in more deaths than the actual COVID-19 effect on patients," Prof Twumasi stated in his article.
Prof. Twumasi said, most people infected with the COVID-19 virus would experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment but added that older people, especially those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
The NSA Director-General, however, reiterated the need to prevent and slow down transmission by ensuring individual protection, such as avoid touching face, washing hands regularly and using an alcohol-based rub frequently.
Prof. Twumasi added that the COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, hence the need to practice respiratory etiquette such as coughing into a flexed elbow.