Ghana quarantines 2 suspected carriers of coronavirus

Health officials in Ghana have reportedly quarantined two suspected carriers of the deadly coronavirus as the disease spreads across the globe with China witnessing empty streets and businesses shut down.

Reports say officials in the capital of Accra are investigating two suspected cases of coronavirus involving two men from China and Argentina, who live together, but travelled on different dates from China.

Further reports reveal that the pair who both complained of malaise, muscle pains and flu symptoms both went to the emergency unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday after being turned away from an unnamed privately owned clinic.

Officials say the Argentinian man arrived in Accra from China’s Shanghai city last month, while the Chinese national arrived in the country around September 2019.

READ ALSO: More deaths recorded in China’s coronavirus outbreak, 24,324 infected

The Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association in Accra, William Baah, said on Thursday that both patients had been quarantined as their blood samples are being analysed.

“They’ve all developed some symptoms that fit the case definition but it doesn’t mean they have [coronavirus] though,” Dr Baah said.

Meanwhile, to control the transmission of the virus, municipal officials in Beijing, China extended the Lunar New Year holiday and told employees to work from home, as was the case in many other Chinese provinces and municipalities.

“In order to further ensure the containment of the novel coronavirus outbreak, all employees, excluding essential personnel supporting the government services, are expected to return to work on February 10th,” the statement from the Beijing municipality government read.

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