Saudi Ministry Research Articles

The Saudi Ministry of Health's Twitter Communication Strategies and Public Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis Study.

BackgroundDuring a public health crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, governments and health authorities need quick and accurate methods of communicating with the public. While social media can serve as a useful tool for effective communication during disease outbreaks, few studies have elucidated how these platforms are used by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during disease outbreaks in Saudi Arabia.ObjectiveGuided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model, this study aimed to explore the MOH’s use of Twitter and the public’s engagement during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.MethodsTweets and corresponding likes and retweets were extracted from the official Twitter account of the MOH in Saudi Arabia for the period of January 1 through August 31, 2020. Tweets related to COVID-19 were identified; subsequently, content analysis was performed, in which tweets were coded for the following message types: risk messages, warnings, preparations, uncertainty reduction, efficacy, reassurance, and digital health responses. Public engagement was measured by examining the numbers of likes and retweets. The association between outbreak stages and types of messages was assessed, as well as the effect of these messages on public engagement.ResultsThe MOH posted a total of 1393 original tweets during the study period. Of the total tweets, 1293 (92.82%) were related to COVID-19, and 1217 were ultimately included in the analysis. The MOH posted the majority of its tweets (65.89%) during the initial stage of the outbreak. Accordingly, the public showed the highest level of engagement (as indicated by numbers of likes and retweets) during the initial stage. The types of messages sent by the MOH significantly differed across outbreak stages, with messages related to uncertainty reduction, reassurance, and efficacy being prevalent among all stages. Tweet content, media type, and crisis stage influenced the level of public engagement. Engagement was negatively associated with the inclusion of hyperlinks and multimedia files, while higher level of public engagement was associated with the use of hashtags. Tweets related to warnings, uncertainty reduction, and reassurance received high levels of public engagement.ConclusionsThis study provides insights into the Saudi MOH’s communication strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results have implications for researchers, governments, health organizations, and practitioners with regard to their communication practices during outbreaks. To increase public engagement, governments and health authorities should consider the public’s need for information. This, in turn, could raise public awareness regarding disease outbreaks.

The current reproduction number of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: is the disease controlled?

The infectiousness of COVID-19 is high among the susceptible population, making the calculation of the reproduction number (R) an essential step to implement preventive measures. We aim to estimate COVID-19 transmission to determine if the disease is successfully controlled or extra measured should be adopted to attain this goal. The daily incidence data of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia from March 2nd, 2020, to April 4th, 2021, were obtained from the continuously updated Saudi Ministry of Health COVID-19 repository. To get accurate estimation of the situation over the last 4 months (from December 1st, 2020, to April 4th, 2021), we calculated the weekly (every 7 days) R starting from March 2nd, 2020, and till the last week of the available data. The calculated values of R were represented as median, first quantile (Q1), and third quantile (Q3). As early as the first week of December 2020, the median R was 0.81 (0.80–0.83) which means that each existing infected case would transmit infection to only one person. This was followed by fluctuations over the next few weeks around R value of 1, reaching its highest level of 1.45 (1.42–1.47) between December 31st, 2020, and January 6th, 2021. This was followed by a relatively steady decline over the following weeks, with some till mid-March where the R values started to slightly rise again. Social distancing, protective precautions, avoiding abuse of the partial lifting, expanding the screening process, and other Saudi measures sound to be successful and should be replicated in similar communities. This measure should be continued till the vaccination process is completed, to reduce the number of contacts and to avoid uncontrolled transmission of the disease.

Assessment of Applying Saudi Labour Law to Digital Platform Workers: Taking Uber as an Example

The use of technology platforms has become quite common and popular worldwide. Some of these platforms have used for business purpose such as connecting taxi drivers with riders or providing delivery services. At present, there are famous institutions employing persons to provide their services through digital platforms, and in some states, such persons are considered workers. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it is significant to find a direct answer to whether or not persons using digital labour platforms to offer services could be regarded as workers, and the Saudi Labour Law must, or not, be applied to govern their contracts with the enterprises that own these platforms. This paper aims to find a legal solution to this issue and concentrates on digital platform workers in Saudi Arabia. It examines mainly legal sources relating to Saudi Labour Law such as books, and investigates a number of reported judgments issued by the Commission for the Settlement of Labour Disputes in Saudi Arabia in 2010 and 2011.It also reviews relative information provided on the web sites of Uber. The finding is that the traditional rules of Saudi Labour Law should apply to these types of work agreements, and persons rendering their services through digital platforms must be protected by the rules established in the Law, but, according to the recent provisions adopted by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, it seems that they are considered as freelancers.
 
 Received: 4 March 2021 / Accepted: 6 May 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

The Impact of Media on Public Health Awareness Concerning the Use of Natural Remedies Against the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major health system problems and has fueled the emergence of various misinformation regarding preventive measures. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of media on raising the level of health awareness of Saudi Arabian populations regarding the medical misinformation about the use of natural remedies against COVID-19.MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted anonymously in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between May 1st and June 30, 2020. The sample size was calculated using version-3.0 of OpenEpi. An 11-item questionnaire was designed to assess the effect of media on raising the level of health awareness of the population regarding the medical misinformation about the use of natural remedies during this pandemic.ResultsAmong 1300 participants, nearly half (55.4%) reported having watched the Saudi Ministry of Health’s (MOH) broadcasted awareness videos. Social media (78.9%) was the main media platform on which they accessed these videos, followed by television (14.9%), and the Internet (6.2%). The MOH’s awareness videos had a positive effect on 69.5% of participants, who reported a change in their attitudes toward natural remedies and discontinuing the use of them as preventive medicine. The most discontinued natural remedies after watching the awareness videos were gargling with salt water (32.1%), followed by myrrh (17.6%), and garlic (12.9%). Positive effects were greater among participants with a low than high education level.ConclusionThe findings of the current study indicate that the Saudi MOH’s usage of social media channels has had a positive effect on the level of public health awareness concerning the reliability of natural remedies used during the pandemic. However, more research is needed to validate how social media networks can be used in a cross-cultural context to enhance health awareness and adaptation to healthy behaviors.

Modeling and Simulation: A Study on Predicting the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in an ongoing pandemic affecting the health system and economy of more than 200 countries worldwide. Mathematical models are used to predict the biological and epidemiological tendencies of an epidemic and to develop methods for controlling it. In this work, we use a mathematical model perspective to study the role of behavior change in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. The real-time updated data from March 2, 2020, to January 8, 2021, were collected from the Saudi Ministry of Health, aiming to provide dynamic behaviors of the epidemic in Saudi Arabia. During this period, 363,692 people were infected, resulting in 6293 deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.73%. There was a weak positive relationship between the spread of infection and mortality R 2 = 0.459 . We used the susceptible-exposed-infection-recovered (SEIR) model, a logistic growth model, with a special focus on the exposed, infected, and recovered individuals to simulate the final phase of the outbreak. The results indicate that social distancing, hygienic conditions, and travel limitations are crucial measures to prevent further spread of the epidemic.

The impact of lockdown strategies on the basic reproductive number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Saudi Arabia.

Background & ObjectivesIn late December 2019, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS COV-2) occurred in the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in the central part of the People’s Republic of China (Ren et al., 2020). In Saudi Arabia, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in March 2, 2020. In March 8, 2020, the Saudi authorities adopted the lockdown strategy to contain the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the various phases of the lockdown strategy in Saudi Arabia and its impact on the basic reproductive number (R0) of the COVID-19 outbreak.Material and MethodsThe timeline of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia was divided into three-time intervals. Google Mobility Community Reports (2020) was used to estimate the changes in community mobility during the various phases of the lockdown. The basic reproductive number (R0) of the COVID-19 outbreak was calculated daily using the Susceptible, Infected and Recovered (SIR) model based on the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) daily reports. This is a standard system to determine the spread of the virus on the basis of infection rate, quarantine rate as well as confirmation rate. The mean values of the calculated R0 during each interval were compared using one-way ANOVA test.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the mean values of the different phases of the lockdown (P > 0.05). Moreover, mean R0 value of the second interval was 0.09 higher than the initial interval with free community mobility. Furthermore, the mean R0 values of the third interval with the full lockdown was 0.28 higher than the initial interval.ConclusionEarly implementation of lockdown strategy combined with other social distancing strategies help in containing infectious outbreaks in their early phases. Continuous assessment of such strategies’ effectiveness provides decision makers with precious information needed to justify their application when considering their economic impact.

NCOVID-19 outcomes on curfews and lockdown: Precautionary decisions in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesCoronavirus (nCOVID-19) cases are increasing not only daily but also hourly worldwide. Therefore, it is important to look into how developed countries are managing this pandemic and also observe their experiences and estimations in dissimilar consequences. In this study, we compared the results of the precautionary measurements taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and higher officials on the outcome of the nCOVID-19. MethodsWe examined all the current pandemic related data, including the total number of cases, total recovered, total deaths with the curfew phases, and the various actions taken by Saudi's Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, Web of Science, Sci Finder, MEDLINE, and the Worldometer. The total number of cases, recovered cases, deaths, and peak days were templated using Microsoft Excel sheets and graphs. ResultsDuring this pandemic, the KSA government released many services such as smartphone-based apps and media campaigns to control the spread and contact of the virus among people. All these early extreme precautionary measures and services implemented by the KSA government reduce the number of deaths from the nCOVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. The curfew phases enforced by the government recorded few deaths during the first two phases, whereas a noticeable increase in the number of deaths and the total number of cases were recorded during Phase 3. ConclusionsAll these limitations and precautionary measures, including the different phases of curfew, assumed a significant role in restricting the spread of nCOVID-19 and reducing the number of cases and deaths among people. Public Summary AbstractCoronavirus (nCOVID-19) outbreak has shocked the world causing more cases than the latest global epidemics. It is necessary to specify how developed countries managing this pandemic outbreak. In this study, we lined up to compare the results of the precautionary measurements taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on the outcome of the nCOVID-19. All current pandemic related data: total cases, total recovered, total deaths and actions were congregate from Saudi's Ministry of Health (MoH), World Health Organization (WHO). Total number of cases, recovered cases and deaths were templated by using Microsoft Excel sheets and graphs. The KSA government had released many services including smartphone-based apps, and media campaigns to control the spread and contact to the nCOVID-19 positive persons. All these limitations and precautionary measures including different phases of curfew assumed a significant role in restricting the spread of nCOVID-19 and reduce cases and deaths numbers.

Awareness and Practice of COVID-19 Precautionary Measures Among Healthcare Professionals in Saudi Arabia.

ObjectiveHealthcare workers (HCWs) are the backbone of the healthcare system and a skilled and healthy workforce is vital during a health crisis, such as the present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Healthcare workers are at higher risk of exposure to and transmission of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, HCWs should possess good knowledge and attitudes toward COVID-19 to protect not only themselves but also their colleagues, families and the larger community. Thus, the current study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of protective measures by HCWs in Saudi Arabia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify awareness of the disease, potential trends and associated predictors.MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted among HCWs about knowledge related to COVID-19 and practice of protective measures, such as social distancing and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. A Fisher exact test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to investigate the level of association among variables.ResultsA total of 674 HCWs were recruited in the study (51.8% male, 42.7% aged 28–37 years old and 52% specialists). The Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) was the main source of knowledge for most of the HCWs (89%) followed by the WHO (44.5%) and social media (42.3%). Washing hands before touching the face was the most selected choice (97.9%) as a precautionary method to limit SARS-CoV2 transmission. Most of the HCWs (74.6%) scored low for staying at home while the majority (71.2%) showed a high practice of personal protective methods, with pharmacists and general physicians scoring the highest.ConclusionSaudi HCWs showed high knowledge and practice of protective measures for COVID-19. Good knowledge correlates with adoption of appropriate practices to prevent spread of infection. The current findings highlight the importance of interventions such as tailored education and training courses for those with low scores to improve overall knowledge and practice.

LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS analysis of pesticide residues in Ecuadorian and Filipino Cavendish bananas imported into Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT The occurrence of pesticide residues in bananas imported from Ecuador and the Philippines into Saudi Arabia was investigated. Eighty-seven banana samples were purchased from various supermarkets around the country. The conventional QuEChERS method was used to extract 294 pesticides in whole bananas and the analysis was carried out using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. In total, nine pesticides were detected of which azoxystrobin, carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, imazalil, and thiabendazole were the most frequently found in bananas from both countries. The levels of these pesticides were complaint according to the Saudi Food & Drug Authority’s (SFDA) maximum residue levels (MRLs), therefore they cannot be considered a public health problem. Detectable residues of these agrochemicals show that they are used extensively in banana cultivation. The Ecuadorian Agency for Agricultural Quality Assurance (Agrocalidad) and the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) prohibit the use of carbendazim in agriculture, while the Filipino Fertiliser and Pesticide Authority (FPA) allows its use. A legislative comparison of pesticide approval status revealed a lack of consensus between banana exporting and importing countries that could affect food safety and trade.

Leveraging electronic health records to improve management of noncommunicable diseases at primary healthcare centres in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study

BackgroundElectronic Health Records (EHRs) can contribute to the earlier detection and better treatment of chronic diseases by improving accuracy and accessibility of patient data. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) implemented an EHR system in all primary health care clinics (PHCs) as part of measures to improve their performance in managing chronic disease. This study examined the perspective of physicians on the current scope and content of NCDs management at PHCs including the contribution of the EHR system.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 physicians working in chronic disease clinics at PHCs covering a range of locations and clinic sizes. The participants were selected based on their expertise using a combination of purposive and convenience sampling. The interviews were transcribed, analyzed and coded into the key themes.ResultsPhysicians indicated that the availability of the EHR helped organise their work and positively influenced NCDs patient encounters in their PHCs. They emphasised the multiple benefits of EHR in terms of efficiency, including the accuracy of patient documentation and the availability of patient information. Shortcomings identified included the lack of a patient portal to allow patients to access information about their health and lack of capacity to facilitate multi-disciplinary care for example through referral to allied health services. Access to the EHR was limited to MOH primary healthcare centres and clinicians noted that patients also received care in private clinics and hospitals.ConclusionWhile well regarded by clinicians, the EHR system impact on patient care at chronic disease clinics is not being fully realised. Enabling patient access to their EHR would be help promote self-management, a core attribute of effective NCD management. Co-ordination of care is another core attribute and in the Saudi health system with multiple public and private providers, this may be substantially improved if the patients EHR was accessible wherever care was provided. There is also a need for enhanced capacity to support improving patient’s nutrition and physical activity.

Clinical features and prognostic factors of intensive and non-intensive 1014 COVID-19 patients: an experience cohort from Alahsa, Saudi Arabia

BackgroundCOVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic and has placed significant demand for acute and critical care services on hospitals in many countries.ObjectivesTo determine the predictors of severe COVID-19 disease requiring admission to an ICU by comparing patients who were ICU admitted to non-ICU groups.MethodsA cohort study was conducted for the laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients who were admitted to six Saudi Ministry of Health’s hospitals in Alahsa, between March 1, 2020, and July 30, 2020, by reviewing patient’s medical records retrospectively.ResultsThis cohort included 1014 patients with an overall mean age of 47.2 ± 19.3 years and 582 (57%) were males. A total of 205 (20%) of the hospitalized patients were admitted to the ICU. Hypertension, diabetes and obesity were the most common comorbidities in all study patients (27.2, 19.9, and 9%, respectively). The most prevalent symptoms were cough (47.7%), shortness of breath (35.7%) and fever (34.3%). Compared with non-ICU group, ICU patients had older age (p ≤ 0.0005) and comprised a higher proportion of the current smokers and had higher respiratory rates (p ≤ 0.0005), and more percentage of body temperatures in the range of 37.3–38.0 °C (p ≥ 0.0005); and had more comorbidities including diabetes (p ≤ 0.0005), hypertension (p ≥ 0.0005), obesity (p = 0.048), and sickle cell disease (p = 0.039). There were significant differences between the non-ICU and ICU groups for fever, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, vomiting, dizziness; elevated white blood cells, neutrophils, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and ferritin, and decreased hemoglobin; and proportion of abnormal bilateral chest CT images (p < 0.05). Significant differences were also found for multiple treatments (p < 0.05). ICU patients group had a much higher mortality rate than those with non-ICU admission (p ≤ 0.0005).ConclusionIdentifying key clinical characteristics of COVID-19 that predict ICU admission and high mortality can be useful for frontline healthcare providers in making the right clinical decision under time-sensitive and resource-constricted environment.

Simple statistical insights into the COVID-19 data of Saudi Arabia: figures prior to vaccination campaign

Background: COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly emerging coronavirus, SARS-COV2, is still a major health burden worldwide as it continues to spread rapidly in many countries after being contained for a while. The aim of the study was to analyze the official current disease estimates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to anticipate future risks and needs. Methods: Publicly available COVID-19 data published by the Saudi Ministry of Health were analyzed to extract statistical estimates of the disease. These include monthly case fatality rates, death rates/1000, comparison of death figures and regression analysis. Results: The number of confirmed, recovered and deaths surged in the middle of the outbreak (June and July). The case fatality rates reported later in September-November were the highest despite the decline in the number of confirmed cases. The death rates/1000 were higher during the middle of the outbreak, where the highest numbers of deaths were recorded. The number of recovered cases was the highest as well during this time. Regression analysis showed that the number of deaths was related to that of confirmed cases, especially during the peak time. On the other hand, the number of recovered cases was related to that of confirmed cases at the beginning of the outbreak. Conclusion: Statistical estimates of COVID-19 fatalities provide simple figures to understand the disease progression pattern and the health care management success in disease containment. However, the absolute numbers should never be disregarded to reflect on the real situation.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Saudi Arabia.

High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and was identified as the most significant single preventable cause of mortality. The prevalence of hypertension in Saudi Arabia is high. To raise awareness and identify undiagnosed hypertension, the Saudi Ministry of Health participated in the May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 global screening initiative of the International Society of Hypertension. Ninety-two primary care centres across the Kingdom recruited respondents aged ≥18 years through opportunistic sampling, from 1 May to 30 August of 2019. Data collection included sociodemographic, lifestyle habits, environmental, and anthropometric indicators. Blood pressure was measured twice using automated BP devices. A total of 25 023 adults were screened with a mean age of 42.4 (16.7) years and a mean body mass index of 27.5 (6.0) kg/m2. In total, 43.6% of participants were females and 56.4% were males. Of all the participants with hypertension, 60.8% were aware, 60.8% were on antihypertensive medication, and 39.3% had controlled BP (systolic BP <140 mmHg and diastolic BP <90 mmHg). Moreover, out of 4440 participants on antihypertensive medication, only 64.6% had controlled BP. The high numbers of individuals with hypertension and with undiagnosed hypertension highlight the importance of BP screening campaigns to increase awareness, detection, and target treatment on a national level. Findings from this study can form a baseline by which to measure progress in future iterations of MMM.

Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus infection.

ObjectivesThis review article summarizes what has been published on Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV), a novel flavivirus that was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1995.MethodsPubMed was used to search for studies published from January 1995 to June 2019 using the key words Alkhumra virus, Alkhurma virus, novel flavivirus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Additionally, records of the Saudi Ministry of Health were reviewed.ResultsThirty-two articles on AHFV were identified. Acute febrile flu-like illness, hepatitis, hemorrhagic manifestations, and, less commonly, encephalitis are the main clinical features. The virus seems to be transmitted from livestock animals to humans by direct contact with these animals or their raw meat, or perhaps by tick or mosquito bites. The ability of ticks and mosquitoes to serve as vectors for AHFV needs to be confirmed by biological studies. The exact role of animals such as sheep, goats, camels, and other mammals in the transmission and maintenance of the virus remains to be elucidated. Preventive measures require an interdisciplinary approach involving the human and veterinary health sectors, the municipality, the ministry of agriculture, the vector control sector, and academic and research institutes.ConclusionsAHFV has been well characterized; nevertheless, some aspects remain to be elucidated.

Knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019: Implication for dentists in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) has published detailed guidelines and educational documents about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and infection control. The knowledge of dentists of the reported guidelines is not yet assessed and lack of awareness of these guidelines may have negative implications on dental patients. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of dentists about COVID-19 and the MOH guidelines while treating dental patients in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey which was sent to a sample of dentists in Saudi Arabia from March to May 2020. A total of 294 dentists with a mean age of (36.9 ± 10.6) years completed the questionnaire. Participants included 157 females and 137 males with a range of professional classification and experience. All of the participants were aware of COVID-19, the nature of the disease, symptoms, modes of transmission and people at higher risk, except for 7.2% who did not report the correct incubation period. All participants agreed that patients and staff should wear a facial mask, use hydroalcoholic hand sanitizer upon arrival. Only 72.4% had knowledge about published guidelines. Infection control training was provided for 53% of the participants and those who had training were more confident to treat patients. Regarding personal protective equipment (PPE), putting on and taking off PPE, 64.6% and 78.6%, respectively, were aware of the guidelines. Dentists in Saudi Arabia had optimal knowledge about COVID-19. However, infection control training is recommended to increase readiness and confidence among dentists.

Expanding pharmacist’s educational role using virtual and social media portals before and during COVID19 outbreak

BackgroundThere are many ways to raise public health awareness and recently, Social media networks (SMN) have played a big role in it. The study aims to assess SMN use for acquiring health care information and publics' perception of virtual encounters with pharmacists for health- related purposes; particularly in times of a pandemic crisis. MethodsA bi-phasic cross-sectional survey was distributed on 2017 and again during COVID-19 pandemic. both phases (phase 1) and (phase 2) respectively, were compared and analyzed. ResultsOn phase 1 and phase 2 we collected 566 and 409 respondents respectively. Most used SMNs in both phases were Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. In both phases respondents preferred acquiring health care information by going physically to the hospital or pharmacy, however virtual interactions were only accepted by (14%) in phase 1 compared to (36%) in phase 2. Additionally, while only 15% said they would “definitely” reach a pharmacist virtually in phase 1, 50% said they would in phase 2. In phase 2, 90% follow the Saudi Ministry of Health website, while 41% follow verified doctors for acquiring medical health-care information. Virtual contact with a pharmacist was mostly (76%) for medical consultation. ConclusionThis study is the first to shed light on society's acceptance and perception of an innovative educational tool taken by the pharmacist through social media and virtual portals among the Saudi population in Jeddah. There's an opportunity for Medication Therapy Management (MTM), CMR, medication refill, and disease follow up that the pharmacist can take the lead in, if properly implemented. Future studies should look into safe and reliable ways to make use of SMNs as well as virtual tools to expand public health awareness especially in a highly technology dependent society.

Quarantine-related depression and anxiety during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

IntroductionPsychological well-being has an important impact on individuals. In the face of the health threat of COVID-19, psychological changes as fear stress anxiety and depression is reported.ObjectivesExplore the prevalence of depression and anxiety among people under quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 65 participants who were quarantined at multiple hotels under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Health. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) were used to assess depression and anxiety.ResultsThe majority of the participants were male (66.2%), aged 18–29 (47.7%) from the Eastern region (66.15%), who were still waiting for the result of the COVID-19 test (64.6%). Approximately half of the sample had depressive and anxiety symptoms (49.2% and 44.6%, respectively). The depression mean score was significantly higher only among the 18–29 age group. However, the depression and anxiety mean scores were higher among females than males and among participants with positive COVID-19 test results compared to those who had pending or negative results. The anxiety mean score was higher during the first week of quarantine, but the depression mean score was higher during later weeks.ConclusionsDepression and anxiety were prevalent among people in quarantine during the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia. It is crucial to study the most effective interventions to reduce the psychological consequences, especially for vulnerable groups. Longitudinal research studies need to be conducted to follow up regarding participants’ mental health symptoms and evidence-based interventions.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Simultaneous detection and mutation surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and multiple respiratory viruses by rapid field-deployable sequencing

BackgroundStrategies for monitoring the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are crucial for combating the pandemic. Detection and mutation surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses require separate and complex workflows that rely on highly specialized facilities, personnel, and reagents. To date, no method can rapidly diagnose multiple viral infections and determine variants in a high-throughput manner.MethodsWe describe a method for multiplex isothermal amplification-based sequencing and real-time analysis of multiple viral genomes, termed nanopore sequencing of isothermal rapid viral amplification for near real-time analysis (NIRVANA). It can simultaneously detect SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, human adenovirus, and human coronavirus and monitor mutations for up to 96 samples in real time.FindingsNIRVANA showed high sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 in 70 clinical samples with a detection limit of 20 viral RNA copies per μL of extracted nucleic acid. It also detected the influenza A co-infection in two samples. The variant analysis results of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples mirror the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Additionally, NIRVANA could simultaneously detect SARS-CoV-2 and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) (an omnipresent virus and water-quality indicator) in municipal wastewater samples.ConclusionsNIRVANA provides high-confidence detection of both SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and mutation surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 on the fly. We expect it to offer a promising solution for rapid field-deployable detection and mutational surveillance of pandemic viruses.FundingM.L. is supported by KAUST Office of Sponsored Research (BAS/1/1080-01). This work is supported by KAUST Competitive Research Grant (URF/1/3412-01-01; M.L. and J.C.I.B.) and Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia (J.C.I.B.). A.M.H. is supported by Saudi Ministry of Education (project 436).

Impact of outdoor and indoor meteorological conditions on the COVID-19 transmission in the western region of Saudi Arabia

Meteorological conditions may influence the incidence of many infectious diseases. Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious, air-borne, emerging, viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic affected more than 210 countries and territories worldwide including Saudi Arabia. There are contradictory research papers about the correlation between meteorological parameters and incidence of COVID-19 in some countries worldwide. The current study investigates the impact of outdoor and indoor meteorological conditions on the daily recorded COVID-19 cases in western region (Makkah and Madinah cities) of Saudi Arabia over a period of 8 months from March to October 2020. Reports of the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases from the webpage of Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) were used. Considering, the incubation period of COVID-19 which ranged from 2 to 14 days, the relationships between daily COVID-19 cases and outdoor meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) using a lag time of 10 days are investigated. The results showed that the highest daily COVID-19 cases in Makkah and Madinah were reported during the hottest months of the year (April–July 2020) when outdoor temperature ranged from 26.51 to 40.71 °C in Makkah and of 23.89–41.20 °C in Madinah, respectively. Partial negative correlation was detected between outdoor relative humidity and daily recorded COVID-19 cases. No obvious correlation could be demonstrated between wind speed and daily COVID-19 cases. This indicated that most of SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in the cool, air-conditioned, dry, and bad-ventilated indoor environment in the investigated cities. These results will help the epidemiologists to understand the correlation between both outdoor and indoor meteorological conditions and SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility. These findings would be also a useful supplement to assist the local healthcare policymakers to implement and apply a specific preventive measures and education programs for controlling of COVID-19 transmission.

Quick and Easy Assembly of a One-Step qRT-PCR Kit for COVID-19 Diagnostics Using In-House Enzymes.

One-step reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is the most widely applied method for COVID-19 diagnostics. Notwithstanding the facts that one-step qRT-PCR is well suited for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and that there are many commercially available one-step qRT-PCR kits in the market, their high cost and unavailability due to airport closures and shipment restriction became a major bottleneck that had driven the desire to produce the key components of such kits locally. Here, we provide a simple, economical, and powerful one-step qRT-PCR kit based on patent-free, specifically tailored versions of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase and Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase and termed R3T (Rapid Research Response Team) one-step qRT-PCR. We also demonstrate the robustness of our enzyme production strategies and provide the optimal reaction conditions for their efficient augmentation in a one-step approach. Our kit was routinely able to reliably detect as low as 10 copies of the synthetic RNAs of SARS-CoV-2. More importantly, our kit successfully detected COVID-19 in clinical samples of broad viral titers with similar reliability and selectivity to that of the Invitrogen SuperScript III Platinum One-step qRT-PCR and TaqPath one-step RT-qPCR kits. Overall, our kit has shown robust performance in both laboratory settings and the Saudi Ministry of Health-approved testing facility.