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GHANA
Scientists in Ghana say they have successfully analyzed the complete DNA of the 46 complete viral genomes of the coronavirus from samples from individuals in the country to see how they are related to similar viruses around the world, in particular one of the original Wuhan viruses. , China. Peter Kojo Quashie, Principal Investigator at the West African Center for Infectious Pathogens Cell Biology (WACCBIP), has said News from the university world.
In an email exchange with Quashie to explain a collaborative research project on COVID-19, he said that they were also able to identify groups of people with the same virus to identify what types of viruses are circulating in a country due to the various types they have different. levels of transmissibility and pathogenicity.
The research was carried out at the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens and at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) at the University of Ghana.
Quashie, who had previously presented the study findings during a webinar, said that due to the quality of their work, they were able to trace and link the different samples to each other and see which samples likely had similar ancestry.
“We were able to identify unique substitutions or genetic changes, which were identified in Ghana and have not been identified elsewhere or are known stochastics. [‘stochastic’ refers to a pattern that may be analysed statistically, but may not be predicted precisely] mutations occurring in the country, “said Quashie.
The transmission route was followed
The study also showed that approximately 20% of the people living in Accra and Kasoa, for a total of approximately 2 million, may have been exposed to COVID-19. The study was carried out in public places, including municipal markets and truck stations in Accra and Kasoa, shopping malls in Accra, and COVID-19 testing centers and other research institutions or health centers in Accra.
The researchers used a pre-validated rapid antibody diagnostic test (RDT) and were able to determine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by detecting COVID-19 antibodies in blood samples taken from 1,305 participants. They said these tests were only able to detect exposure to the virus with about 70% accuracy because the antibodies decrease after a while and could be difficult to detect in some people.
Dr. Yaw Bediako, a researcher at WACCBIP, said these were somewhat cautious results, adding that “we know these things can change in an instant. So we have to be vigilant and we have to be aware that COVID-19, indeed, is circulating freely in our country and [that] our current testing protocols, which focus on symptomatic people, will only capture a very small fraction. “
By analyzing the genetic makeup of various strains of the virus, the scientists also found evidence of transmission from the Greater Accra Region, through the Central Region, to the Western Region. The most transmissible variants, according to the data, were found in Ayawaso, a suburb of Accra, which was a hotbed for the disease when it first broke out in the country.
People in the lowest economic strata in the worst situation
They said the findings suggested that people at lower economic levels are more exposed to and have higher levels of earlier SARS-CoV-2. The results of the degree of presence of antibodies in the community sampled in the study showed that the exposure rate was higher among people tested in markets and truck stations (about 27%) than in shopping centers (about 9 %). The study also showed that differences in socioeconomic status could determine the risk of exposure to the virus.
“Having a higher level of education and a high level of income also significantly reduces the risk of being exposed compared to those with lower levels of education and those with low incomes. We also found that people who work in the informal sector are at twice the risk of being exposed, ”Quashie said.
Kofi Bonney, Senior Researcher at NMIMR, said these results were to be expected, adding that “I even hoped that a higher percentage would have been recorded, especially in the markets. We saw how they were loosely kept following the protocols that we are supposed to adhere to. People are now thinking that we are out of the woods, but we haven’t made it yet. The virus is still circulating, and we must be careful about that and strictly adhere to protocols. Otherwise, what is happening in the Western world may also emerge here. ”
WACCBIP is one of the World Bank’s African Centers of Excellence (ACE) and was established in 2014. The center is mandated to conduct applied research in the biology and pathogenesis of tropical diseases, and to increase research output and innovation by enhancing the collaboration between biomedical scientists and industry or private sector leaders in the subregion.
The NMIMR works with the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Ghana with the mandate to provide Master’s and PhD training as well as specific short courses in Cellular and Molecular Biology.
