Dr. John Amuasi, an infectious disease professional, believes Ghana is currently in its third wave of COVID-19.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Citi TV/FM, Dr. Amuasi explained that signs of Ghana shifting to its third wave are evident in new symptoms associated with new cases being recorded in various health facilities.

“We are in a third wave and I can say this confidently. Now, we are seeing a shift – younger people getting sick and breathless, as well as headaches and abdominal pains. Symptoms that were different from what pertained in the 1st and 2nd waves [are now showing up]. “

Dr. Amuasi’s comment comes in the wake of a significant rise in Ghana’s COVID-19 case count in the month of July 2021.

The Ashanti and Bono regional directorates of the Ghana Health Service have also expressed worry about the astronomical increase in cases in their regions.

Dr. Amuasi said although the Delta variant could be blamed for the spike in the cases, the failure to adhere to safety protocols has also significantly contributed to the rise.

He pointed out that Ghana’s COVID-19 situation could get worse, especially as many Ghanaians are failing to adhere to the safety protocols.

“The astronomical increase [in the cases] can be attributed to the Delta Variant. We would like to say that we have let our guard down and that is why the cases are going up, but if you look at the way we are living our lives for the past couple of months, it has not been any different. The weddings, funerals, gatherings have been going on as usual. I have seen a significant decrease in wearing of nose masks.”

The highly transmissible strain of COVID-19 which originated from India, the Delta variant, has been detected in Ghana and is reported to be currently concentrated in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.