SARS-CoV-2 detection among international air travellers to Ghana during mandatory quarantine

Bright Adu; Joseph K H Bonney; John K Odoom; Evelyn Y A Bonney; Evangeline Obodai; Ivy A Asante; James Aboagye; Mildred A Adusei-Poku; Lawrence Lartey; Ernest K Asiedu; William K Ampofo; George B Kyei

doi:10.4314/gmj.v55i2s.7

SARS-CoV-2 detection among international air travellers to Ghana during mandatory quarantine

Ghana Med J. 2021 Jun;55(2 Suppl):48-50. doi: 10.4314/gmj.v55i2s.7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Immunology Department. Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. Off Akilagpa Sawyerr Road. PO Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
² Virology Department. Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. Off Akilagpa Sawyerr Road. PO Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
³ Department of Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School. College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. PO Box GP 4236, Accra, Ghana.
⁴ Disease Surveillance Department, Ghana Health Service, Private Mail Bag, Ministries, Accra. Ghana.
⁵ National Quality Management Unit, Ministry of Health, P.O.Box M 44, Ministries, Accra, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 detection among international travellers to Ghana during mandatory quarantine.

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: Air travellers to Ghana on 21^st and 22^nd March 2020.

Participants: On 21^st and 22^nd March 2020, a total of 1,030 returning international travellers were mandatorily quarantined in 15 different hotels in Accra and tested for SARS-CoV-2. All of these persons were included in the study.

Main outcome measure: Positivity for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction.

Results: The initial testing at the beginning of quarantine found 79 (7.7%) individuals to be positive for SARS-CoV-2. In the exit screening after 12 to 13 days of quarantine, it was discovered that 26 of those who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in the initial screening subsequently tested positive.

Conclusions: Ghana likely averted an early community spread of COVID-19 through the proactive approach to quarantine international travellers during the early phase of the pandemic.

Funding: None.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ghana; SARS-CoV-2; international travellers; mandatory quarantine; testing.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / diagnosis
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ghana / epidemiology
Humans
Quarantine*
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2