The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of COVID-19 patients, and the risk factors associated with death in Saudi Arabia to serve as a reference to further understand this pandemic and to help in the future decisions and control of this global crisis. This multicenter, retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 240,474 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected retrospectively through the Health Electronic Surveillance Network at the Ministry of Health. Patients were classified based on their outcome as recovered, dead, or active with no definite outcome. We must specify the date period. As of 20th of June 2020, 79.7% of COVID-19 cases were young and middle-aged, ranging between 20–59 years. There was evidently a difference in the sex ratio, where males constituted 71.7% of cases. The majority were non-Saudi nationals, representing 54.7% of cases. Furthermore, the contraction of COVID-19 was travel-related in 45.1% of cases. Signs and symptoms were reported in 63% of cases, the most common of which were fever; 85.2%, and cough; 85%. Deaths occurred more frequently in patients 40−49 years, 50−59 years, and 60−69 years, representing 19.2%, 27.9%, and 21.3% of deaths, respectively. Additionally, the case fatality rate (CFR) was higher in older age-groups, reaching 10.1% in those ≥80 years. Moreover, the CFR of males was higher than that of females, with 0.95% and 0.62%, respectively. As for nationality, Saudis had a CFR of 0.46% versus 1.19% in non-Saudis. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases detected constitute 0.7% of the Saudi population to date. Older age, non-Saudi nationalities, being male, travelling outside Saudi Arabia, and the presence of symptoms, as opposed to being asymptomatic were considered risk factors and found to be significantly more associated with death in patients with COVID-19.

Introduction: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a single-chain ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. As of March 25, 2021, the total number of positive cases and fatalities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had reached 386,300 and 6624, respectively, with a case fatality rate of 1.71%. The KSA was among the leading nations to heed the advice of WHO officials and put strict precautionary and preventive measures in place to curb the early spread of COVID-19 before it was declared a global pandemic. Methodology: This was an uncontrolled before–after study following a mixed-method approach for data collection. National and regional data were extracted from the Health Electronic Surveillance Network (HESN), a centralized public health collection system for quantitative and statistical data. Quantitative and qualitative methods have been utilized in studying data derived from tech media. Results: The Saudi authorities utilized different technological tools to aid in managing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case of Al Madinah Al Mounawarah, after the implementation of several technologies, the most important being Tawakkalna, the number of active daily cases decreased by 61%. Conclusion: The use of the Tawakkalna application was proven to be a successful method in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the KSA. This vital and essential experience warrants the use of different digital technology that offers a personalized profile displaying the person’s status (affected, vaccinated, or no history of infection). This application played and will continue to play a crucial and effective role in pandemic containment in Saudi Arabia.

Many survivors of COVID-19 have developed symptoms and diseases similar to those observed after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the symptoms that appear after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been eradicated and to determine their relationship with COVID-19 severity. This multicenter, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all eligible confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection from Saudi Arabia. Study participants were randomly selected using computerized random sampling from a population of 314,821 patients. Descriptive statistics were used to describe baseline demographic data and clinical characteristics. Categorical variables were presented as counts and percentages, while continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations. Approximately 70% of patients were found to have five or fewer symptoms simultaneously. Late symptoms (in the ongoing symptomatic COVID-19) occurred in 225 (22·5%) patients with the most common late symptoms being loss of smell, loss of taste, fatigue, shortness of breath, and cough (52·4%, 31·1%, 11·5%, 10·2%, and 8·9% of patients with late symptoms, respectively). We also found that the presence of acute symptoms of COVID-19 and admission to the hospital were significant independent predictors of the post-COVID-19 condition. Saudi patients with COVID-19 develop a wide range of symptoms, similar to those observed and reported in other countries. The loss of smell, the loss of taste, shortness of breath, and fatigue were the main persistent symptoms. Regular follow-up of COVID-19 survivors is highly recommended to minimize the burden of the post-acute COVID-19 condition and improve the quality of life of patients.

After the impressive results of the 2020 Hajj management, Saudi authorities decided to expand the quota to 60,000 pilgrims in 2021, which resulted in a convenient and successful experience. This was a retrospective pre and post-study study conducted on all pilgrims attending the 2021 Hajj using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test surveillance with paired-swab samples (pre-Hajj and post-Hajj) to evaluate the risk potential of COVID-19 among Hajj pilgrims, the effectiveness of preventive measures and the potential effect of the Hajj ritual as a huge mass gathering on the epidemiological situation of the Saudi Arabian population. Forty-one cases had positive COVID-19 infections out of a total of 58,428 pilgrims who attended the 2021 Hajj season, as detected by nonmandatory pre- and post-Hajj PCR. Notably, the 2021 Hajj season achieved a decreasing leg of the COVID-19 pandemic curve. The adjusted incidence rate in KSA from July 11th to August 7th ranged from 19 to 24 cases per 100,000 population. In contrast, the incidence rate for the same duration in Hajj ranged from 3 to 7 cases per 100,000 pilgrims. The Saudi mitigation plan ensured the safety of pilgrims and healthcare workers for Hajj, successfully limited the risk of COVID-19 transmission inside and contributed to global health security. The success story of Hajj in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic represents a successful model for planning, achieving and managing future mass gatherings by integrating technology with global and national health policies and public health measures.

Purpose: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), declared a pandemic by WHO in March 2020, is an unprecedented occurrence in our recent history. Effective risk communication by health authorities, through relaying reliable and authoritative information, is imperative in combating the spread of the outbreak. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of risk communication campaign and overall awareness during COVID-19 pandemic among the general population in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 5472 individuals in Saudi Arabia was conducted to assess several factors regarding the risk communication messages during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the knowledge and response of the general population toward COVID-19 and MoH efforts. The questionnaire was divided into five main sections: general knowledge of COVID-19, channels and social media platforms used perceived risk and stress or panic toward COVID-19, satisfaction and community perception, most trusted source of information, and type of information received. Results: A total of 5472 individuals participated in the study residing in Saudi Arabia. Overall knowledge of COVID-19 was determined to be above average (0.58 + 0.159). Of the general population, 57.1% perceived that the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 is low, while nearly half of the respondents (45.7%) have a high level of stress and panic toward COVID-19. The majority of responders to the questionnaire reinforced that MoH was their most trusted source of information for the COVID-19 pandemic (91.7%). Conclusion: This study showed that the risk communication campaign by healthcare authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic has improved the awareness among the general population in Saudi Arabia, where the overwhelming majority placed high trust in the MoH as its main reference for COVID-19 information.

Objectives: Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents are those that involve chemical or biological warfare agents or toxic radiological or nuclear materials. These agents can cause disasters intentionally or accidentally. Hospitals play a crucial role in handling CBRN disasters. This study aimed to assess the CBRN preparedness of government hospitals in Riyadh. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across government hospitals in Riyadh. All government hospitals with more than 100 inpatient beds and an emergency department met the inclusion criteria. Hospital preparedness was assessed using an adaptation of the CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive event) Plan Checklist. This adaptation was chosen due to the inclusion of explosive events in hospital disaster readiness, and its structural composition of key clinical guidelines necessary for a comprehensive disaster and readiness plan. Results were described in frequencies across several domains such as foundational considerations and planning which are used to assess plan preparedness using readiness tools, training, and awareness among staff members in accordance to a pre-established emergency plan, placed procedures and their implementation, and modules for preparing for a biological incident, a chemical incident, and a radiological or nuclear incident. Results: Of the 11 eligible hospitals, 10 participated in the study. Furthermore, CBRN considerations were included in the disaster plans of 7 hospitals. Drills had been conducted in collaboration with local agencies in only 2 hospitals. The staff had been trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of exposure to class (A) biological agents in less than half of the hospitals. Eight of the hospitals had antidotes and prophylactics to manage chemical incidents, but only half of them had radiation detection instruments. Personal protective equipment was available in all hospitals, but rapid access to stockpiles of medications was available in only half of them. Conclusions: Government hospitals in Riyadh demonstrated insufficient CBRN preparedness as per the CBRNE Plan Checklist. Overall, there was a lack of preemptive planning, application of pre-established policies and procedures, and adequate staff training. Furthermore, several hospitals had insufficient stockpiles of medications and in concrete plans on accessing government stockpiles in the case of an emergency. Therefore, their staffs should be trained to manage CBRN emergencies, and local drills should be conducted to improve their preparedness.