Publications by authors named "Boatemaa L"
Background The World Health Organization recommends surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at points of entry to systematically collect and analyze data to inform decisions about the effective and appropriate use of resources needed for interventions. This study sought to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants imported into Ghana by travelers entering the country via land borders from February to July 2022. Methods A cross-sectional approach was employed, where recruited participants consented to the collection of oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on influenza activity globally. In this study, we analyzed trends of influenza activity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using active prospective influenza surveillance data from 29 sentinel sites.
Background: Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and guiding public health decisions, but the capacity for SARS-CoV-2 testing and sequencing in Africa is low. We integrated SARS-CoV-2 surveillance into an existing influenza surveillance network with the aim of providing insights into SARS-CoV-2 transmission and genomics in Ghana.
Methods: In this molecular epidemiological analysis, which is part of a wider multifaceted prospective observational study, we collected national SARS-CoV-2 test data from 35 sites across 16 regions in Ghana from Sept 1, 2020, to Nov 30, 2021, via the Ghanaian integrated influenza and SARS-CoV-2 surveillance network.
Article Synopsis
- Ghana reported its first cases of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, on March 12, 2020, and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) has played a key role in supporting the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with virus diagnosis and containment efforts.* -
- The NMIMR implemented real-time PCR testing in January 2020, processing nearly 284,000 samples by August 21, with significant peaks during targeted contact tracing efforts, and maintaining efficient testing operations despite challenges with supplies.* -
- The NMIMR has helped build testing capacity across Ghana, providing a model for future responses to outbreaks, and has been supported by various health organizations and governmental bodies in its
Genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 reveals local viral evolution in Ghana.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood)
April 2021
Article Synopsis
- The case fatality rate for COVID-19 in Ghana has decreased from 2% in March 2020 to below 1% since May 2020, indicating improvements in managing the virus.
- Researchers sequenced 46 whole genomes of SARS-CoV-2 in Ghana from different time periods, identifying various clades, with notable clustering into five clades for early samples and three for later samples.
- Most analyzed genomes closely mirrored the original Wuhan strain, suggesting that the genetic diversity in Ghana is low, which aligns with the lower transmission rates of the virus in the country.
The efforts to control and eradicate polio as a global health burden have been successful to the point where currently only three countries now report endemic polio, and the number of cases of polio continues to decrease. The success of the polio programme has been dependant on a well-developed network of laboratories termed the global polio laboratory network (GPLN). Here we explore collaborative opportunities with the GPLN to target two of the 18 diseases listed as a neglected tropical diseases (NTD) namely soil transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and Schistosomiasis (SCH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMAX phase materials are emerging as attractive engineering materials in applications where the material is exposed to severe thermal and mechanical conditions in an oxidative environment. The Ti2AlC MAX phase possesses attractive thermomechanical properties even beyond a temperature of 1000 K. An attractive feature of this material is its capacity for the autonomous healing of cracks when operating at high temperatures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF