The Effect of Preventive Measures and Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on the Infection Risk, Treatment, and Hospitalization. A Cross-Sectional Study of Algeria

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to afflict many countries around the world. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in many countries shows a complacency in adhering to preventive guidelines. Consequently, vaccination continues to be a crucial intervention to reduce the effects of this pandemic. This study investigated the impact of preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccination on the infection, medication, and hospitalization. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 23 December 2021 and 12 March 2022 in Algeria. To evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at avoiding and minimizing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity, a questionnaire was created and validated. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were computed to identify associations between dependent and independent variables. Variables with a p-value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Our results indicated that out of 2294 answers received, only 16% of our sample was vaccinated, and more than 60% did not apply preventive guidelines. As a result, 45% were infected with SARS-CoV-2, 75% took treatment (even preventive), and 9% were hospitalized. The logistic regression showed that the impact of preventive measures on the unvaccinated is statistically not significant (OR: 0.764, 95% CI = 0. 555-1.052; p = 0.09). However, this relationship changes significantly for people who are vaccinated (OR: 0.108, 95% CI = 0.047-0.248; p < 0.0001). Our results also demonstrated that the impact of protective measures on non-vaccinated individuals is statistically significant in reducing the need to receive anti-COVID-19 treatments (OR: 0.447, 95% CI = 0.321-0.623; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the results showed that the impact of preventive measures on the non-vaccinated population is also statistically significant in reducing the risk of hospitalization (OR: 0.211, 95% CI = 0.081-0.548; p < 0.0001). Moreover, vaccinated individuals who neglect preventive measures must take the COVID-19 medication at a rate of 3.77 times (OR: 3.77) higher than those who follow preventive measures and are vaccinated. In short, our findings demonstrate the importance of combining preventive measures and vaccination in order to fight against the pandemic. Therefore, we advise the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities to put more effort into enhancing public knowledge about the COVID-19 infection and vaccination through education and awareness initiatives. Parallel to implementing vaccination as additional preventive strategy, behavioral change initiatives must be improved to encourage adherence to COVID-19 prevention recommendations

The mental health of youth and young adults during the transition to adulthood in Egypt

Background: There has been growing interest in the stalled transition to adulthood in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its consequences for young people's socioeconomic outcomes. However, little is known about how important life transitions relate to youth psychosocial well-being in the region. Objective: Drawing on a life course framework, we estimate the associations between making transitions in education, employment, and marriage with changes in mental health among young people in Egypt. Methods: We descriptively analyze mental health scores, measured via the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 and disaggregated by gender, for a panel of young people first surveyed in 2009 at ages 13-29 and followed up in late 2013 and early 2014. We regress change in mental health scores against indicators of making different transitions. Results: Young women experience worse mental health than young men overall. Lower school achievement was associated with poorer mental health; being out of the labor force was an additional risk factor for young men. While average mental health scores improved over time, over a quarter of the sample experienced worsening mental health, related to failure to marry and find a job among older men, and failure to finish schooling among younger women. Conclusions: Mental health is an important but often overlooked component of youth well-being during the transition to adulthood in MENA, and potentially other low- and middle-income countries. Contribution: This is the first paper to empirically examine the relationship between psychosocial well-being and achieving important socioeconomic milestones among a nationally representative cohort of young people in MENA

Arabic translation and validation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) in pediatric patients with chronic rhinosinusitis

Abstract Background This study aimed to validate the translation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) into Arabic (SN-5a) in pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. A prospective cohort randomized controlled study was conducted on 129 children with CRS and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy children. The questionnaire was translated into the Arabic language with cross-cultural adaptation. Caregivers answered the questionnaire during their first visits and after 1 week; to assess test–retest reliability and after 2 weeks of medical treatment to test the questionnaire’s ability to detect changes in patients’ symptoms. The responses of the patients and control groups were compared to assess the external validity. Results The SN-5a showed internal consistency and reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha value being 0.69. Item–item and item–total correlation analysis showed adequate construct validity with a highly significant negative correlation between the SN-5 questionnaire items and visual analog scale (VAS) (p 0.8 for all). Conclusion The translated SN-5a exhibited adequate construct validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and external validity with quite enough ability to assess the longitudinal changes of the disease

Effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on sleep architecture: comparative study between geriatrics and middle-aged adult patients

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disordered breathing in geriatrics but still frequently undiagnosed. Sleep architecture changes with ageing. Geriatrics spend more time in the N1, N2 than in N3, REM. Also, there are more frequent awakenings, arousals and sleep stage shifts. This leads to decrease in sleep efficiency. Geriatric patients with OSA have more affected sleep architecture than middle-aged adults. The aim This work aimed to assess and compare sleep architecture changes in geriatrics versus middle-aged adult patients with OSA syndrome. Patients and methods This comparative study conducted in chest department Menoufia University Hospitals included 50 patients divided to two equal groups; geriatric group age 65 years old or more and middle-aged adult group aged from 18 to 50 years old. All patients were complaining of symptoms suggestive of OSA. All patients underwent sleep questionnaires and Polysomnography using model; Philipsrespironic alice6. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the studied groups regarding sex, smoking, co morbidities, BMI and symptoms. Regarding changes in sleep architecture, geriatric group showed a significantly higher Sleep latency and wakefulness after sleep onset in comparison to middle-aged adults (P=0.004 and 0.039, respectively) versus significantly lower Sleep efficiency, N3%, REM% (P=0.009,0.011 and 0.001, respectively). The median Total Apnea-Hypopnea index was 40.2 (/h sleep) in geriatric group and 35.4 in middle-aged adult group. Regarding severity of OSA; geriatric group showed mild OSA in five (20%) patients, moderate in five (20%) patient and severe in 15 (60%) patients. Middle-aged adults showed mild OSA in 10 (40%) patients, moderate in two (8%) patients, and severe in 13 (52%) patients. Conclusions Sleep architecture is affected in all OSA patients, but these changes are more obvious in geriatric patients. Geriatric patients have higher wakefulness after sleep onset and sleep latency. On the other hand, they have a lower N3%, REM% and sleep efficiency

Environmental and Health Effects of Benzene Exposure among Egyptian Taxi Drivers

Objectives. To study environmental exposure to benzene as well as hematological effects of benzene exposure in taxi drivers. Background. Exposure to benzene has been associated with adverse health effects, including haematopoietic disorders. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was carried out from the beginning of April 2017, through the end of June 2018, on 280 taxi drivers (the exposed group) and 120 unexposed matched individuals (controls). The tools included a predesigned self-administered questionnaire which contained questions about personal data (e.g., age, educational level, and smoking) and exposure data (e.g., duration and nature of exposure). Investigations involved complete blood count. Environmental studies for light-chain aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX components: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) were done. Results. Mean values (ppm) of ambient concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (0.81 ± 0.42, 26.69 ± 0.54, 29.36 ± 2.35, and 25.11 ± 2.06, respectively) in the stations were higher than international permissible levels (P<0.001). On studying the clinical manifestations during the last two weeks, the prevalence of pallor, dizziness, headache, waist and back pain, fatigue, dry throat, and discomfort was significantly higher in taxi drivers (27.1%, 24.3%, 21.4%, 28.6%, 45.7%, 24.3%, and 25.7%, respectively) than among the controls (6.7%, 4.2%, 6.7%, 10%, 10%, 6.7%, 6.7%, and 9.2%, respectively). For chronic diseases, hypertension was the most prevalent chronic disease among the drivers (17.1%) than the controls (5.8%) (P=0.002). Regarding self-assessment of health status, 20.0% of taxi drivers reported poor health while 31.4% reported very good health (P<0.001). MCH (pg), TLC (×103/μl), and platelets (×103/μl) were significantly lower among taxi drivers (26.33 ± 2.31, 6.55 ± 1.38, and 189.07 ± 53.25, respectively) (P=0.005, <0.001, and <0.001 respectively). Conclusion. Abnormal hematological findings among taxi drivers were found on exposure to benzene. Health of taxi drivers is generally affected. Setting a clinic for periodic checkup and health education for taxi drivers is highly recommended

Emotional intelligence, workplace conflict and job burn-out among critical care physicians: a mediation analysis with a cross-sectional study design in Egypt

Objectives This study aimed to examine the association between the effect of emotional intelligence on job burn-out and the mediating effect of workplace conflict management among critical care physicians.Design and setting A cross-sectional study design was deployed.Participants The studied sample comprised 144 critical care physicians working at two Egyptian tertiary care public hospitals.Measures The participants’ responses to three questionnaires were studied, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and the Conflict Management Formative Questionnaire, in addition to assessing coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels.Results Among the anaesthesiologists and critical care specialists examined, burn-out was reported by 63.9% of them. The findings of this study indicated that emotional intelligence played a notable role in predicting job burn-out, with a negative impact. Further analysis revealed that workplace conflict management acted as a mediator between emotional intelligence and the three components of job burn-out. Additionally, age and years of experience were found to have a negative correlation with burn-out and a positive correlation with conflict management. Furthermore, CoQ10 levels showed a negative correlation with burn-out, while displaying positive correlations with emotional intelligence and conflict management.Conclusion Conflict management acted as a mediator in reducing burn-out by demonstrating a significant negative relationship between emotional intelligence and burn-out. Initial findings indicated that possessing good emotional intelligence and conflict management skills had a positive influence on the immune system, as evidenced by higher CoQ10 levels. However, burn-out had the opposite effect, depleting the body’s CoQ10 stores and negatively impacting immune-protective mechanisms. Therefore, it is crucial to implement emotional management educational programmes and update educational policies and pedagogical practices to enhance the emotional capabilities of healthcare providers, especially in demanding fields like critical care, to effectively address conflicts

Comparison between adenosine and magnesium sulfate as an adjuvant for ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block. A prospective randomized controlled study

ABSTRACTBackground Rectus sheath block (RSB) is an effective nerve block. This study aimed to compare adenosine and magnesium sulfate as an adjuvant for ultrasound-guided RSB (UG-RSB).Methods This prospective controlled randomized trial was performed on 96 adult patients (ASA I and II) undergoing umbilical or epigastric hernia repair. The patients were assigned randomly to three equal groups and got bilateral UG-RSB. Adenosine group: using 20 ml bupivacaine hydrochloride 0.25% + 12 mg of adenosine (4 ml) +1 ml saline 0.9%. Magnesium group: using 20 ml bupivacaine hydrochloride 0.25% + 500 mg of magnesium sulfate (5 ml). Control group: using 20 ml bupivacaine hydrochloride 0.25% + 5 ml of saline 0.9%. Registration No.: 6/2018ANET17Results A significant postoperative reduction of VAS up to 18 h was detected in the magnesium sulfate group and up to 12 h was detected in the adenosine group. A statistically significant prolongation of time to the first analgesia in magnesium and adenosine groups than control groups (483.44 ± 48.03 & 415.28 ± 29.81 than 325.31 ± 50.29, respectively), as well as the mean postoperative morphine consumption was 5.94 ± 1.61, 8.03 ± 1.0 and 16.69 ± 2.49 among magnesium, adenosine, and control groups, respectively. The postoperative complications were statistically significantly higher in the control group.Conclusion This study validates the effectiveness of adenosine versus magnesium sulfate as good adjuvants for improving the quality and duration of UG-RSB and reduction of postoperative narcotic requirements. However, the duration was relatively longer with magnesium sulfate

Angiotensinogen Gene Missense Polymorphisms (rs699 and rs4762) : The Association of End-Stage Renal Failure Risk with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension in Egyptians

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension are common chronic diseases mainly associated with the development and progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) leading to morbidity and mortality. Gene polymorphisms linked to the renin–angiotensin (AGT)–aldosterone system (RAAS) were broadly inspected in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the association of AGT gene polymorphisms (rs699 and rs4762) with ESRD in T2DM hypertensive Egyptian patients. Genotyping of rs699 and rs4762 was conducted using the tetra-primers amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR). The allelic distribution analysis was performed on 103 healthy control subjects, 97 non-ESRD patients, and 104 patients with ESRD. The allelic frequencies of AGT gene polymorphisms (rs4762 and rs699) in all study participants were assessed. For the non-ESRD group, the frequencies of the alleles of AGT-rs4762 (χ2 = 31.88, p &lt; 0.001, OR = 5.17, CI 95%: 2.81–9.51) and AGT-rs699 (χ2 = 4.85, p = 0.027, OR = 1.56, CI 95%: 1.05–2.33) were significantly associated with the non-ESRD group. However, for the ESRD group, the T allele was significantly higher than that in the controls (χ2 = 24.97, p &lt; 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 4.35, CI 95%: 2.36–8.02). Moreover, AGT (rs699) genotypes showed no significant difference between the ESRD group and controls. In conclusion, AGT gene polymorphisms rs699 and rs4762 were associated with non-ESRD versus controls, without any significant risk observed in all patient groups. However, the AGT (rs4762) variant showed a significant risk in the ESRD group in comparison to controls in Egyptians

The Potential Utility of Circulating Oncofetal H19 Derived miR-675 Expression versus Tissue lncRNA-H19 Expression in Diagnosis and Prognosis of HCC in Egyptian Patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Interestingly, lncRNA-H19 acts independently in HCC and influences miR-675 expressions. We aimed to assess the potential utility of tissue lncRNA-H19 versus miR-675 expressions as a non-invasive biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis in Egyptian patients. Ninety-one HCC patients and 91 controls included in this study were investigated for expression of lncRNA-H19 and miR675 using RT-qPCR. Our results showed that the expression of lncRNA-H19 and microRNA-675 were higher in patients than in controls (p p p < 0.001, 0.001, respectively). Oncofetal H19-derived miR-675 expression could be considered a potential noninvasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, outstanding the performance of the expression of tissue lncRNA-H19 for HCC