Introduction Ever since World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, Ghana is one of the most affected countries in Africa. However, the knowledge, practice, and preparedness of healthcare providers on the novel COVID-19 in the country has not been studied. This study assessed health workers’ knowledge, practice, and preparedness on the current pandemic in three Ghanaian hospitals. Methods This multi-centre cross-sectional survey recruited 261 healthcare workers in Offinso North district between April and May, 2020, through self-administered questionnaire. SPSS version 22.0 was used for the analysis and statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results We identified that 65.1% of the healthcare providers had adequate knowledge, 27.6% of them had received appropriate in-service training, 57.5% had adequately prepared themselves and willing to care for affected patients and 63.0% were duly aware of their facility’s preparedness for the situation. Again, only 57.5% of the health workers adhered strictly to the practice of precautionary measures, and 62.5% had varying forms of misconceptions about the aetiology of the novel COVID-19. Majority (77.1%) of the respondents received regular information on the COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health, Ghana. Conclusion The overall knowledge, practice and willingness of healthcare workers to handle COVID-19 were encouraging; however, this study still elucidates the knowledge gap of the professionals on the pandemic. We advocate for progressive training of staff on COVID-19, to advance the appreciation of the risks and precautionary measures and clear the misconceptions. This, we believe, would boost the confidence and increase their willingness to deliver efficiently.

Background Hypofibrinolysis resulting from the up-regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) usually occurs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), rendering them hypercoagulable. This study assessed the plasma antigen and activity levels of the PAI-1 enzyme in T2DM patients in a district hospital in Ghana. Methods This was a hospital-based case-control study conducted from December 2018 to May 2019 at Nkenkaasu District Hospital. Sixty subjects with T2DM (30 T2DM subjects with good glycemic control and 30 with poor glycemic control), and 30 apparently healthy blood donors were recruited into the study. Blood specimens were collected for complete blood count, lipid profile, PAI-1 Ag and PAI-1 activity levels. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to obtain demographic and clinical information. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results Elevated PAI-1 Ag and activity levels were observed in the T2DM subjects compared to the healthy controls, with the levels and activity significantly higher (PAI-1 Ag; p< 0.001, PAI-1 activity level; p = 0.004) in the T2DM subjects with poor glycemic control in comparison to those with good glycemic control. A significant positive correlation was observed between HbA1c and PAI-1 enzymes. PAI-1 Ag levels significantly increased along with increased total cholesterol (Β = 0.262, p = 0.033), triglyceride (Β = -0.273, p = 0.034) and HbA1c (Β = 0.419, p = 0.001). Similarly, PAI-1 activity level was associated with total cholesterol (Β = 0.325, p = 0.009), triglyceride (Β = -0.262, p = 0.042), HbA1c (Β = 0.389, p = 0.003) and VLDL-c (Β = -0.227, p = 0.029). Conclusion PAI-1 antigen/activity is enhanced in poorly controlled Ghanaian T2DM subjects. The hypercoagulable state of the affected individuals put them at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Good glycemic control to regulate plasma PAI-1 levels is essential during T2DM lifelong management. Markers of fibrinolysis should be assessed in these individuals and appropriate anticoagulants given to prevent thrombosis and adverse cardiovascular diseases.

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Background: Healthcare workers’ have increased risk of contracting the deadly COVID-19 pandemic due to their exposures to infected persons and their specimens. Ghana, like many other countries, has felt the devastating effects of this virus; it was therefore prudent to assess the levels of knowledge, perception and practice of Ghanaian healthcare providers on the current pandemic.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study enlisted 979 healthcare workers’ in Ghana from 1st Apr to 20th Nov, 2020, via self-reported questionnaire. SPSS version 22.0 was used for the analysis. Responses were summarized using frequency and proportions. A chi-square test was utilized to test for association at significant level of p <0.05.Results: Out of the 979 healthcare workers recruited, 56.4% had good knowledge and 59.5% displayed good perception on the novel COVID-19 while 63.1% of them effectively practiced the expected precautionary measures. Age (p=0.001), gender (p=0.034) and profession (p<0.001) significantly affected the practice of precautionary measure among the health personnel. The respondents’ perceptions towards the pandemic were significantly linked to their age (p<0.001), gender (p=0.043), profession (p<0.001), type of occupation (p=0.001) and source of information (p=0.006). Also, knowledge significantly related to good practices but did not influence the perception of HCWs.Conclusions: The current study identifies that more than half of HCWs in Ghana have sufficient knowledge, perception, and practice of precautionary measures; however, it elucidates some significant concerns about the knowledge gap in this COVID-19 outbreak. There is an obvious need for progressive in-service training programs for the health workers to broaden their scopes on the risks and preventive measures.