Background: During a pandemic, healthcare workers are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. To protect these important individuals, it is highly recommended that they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Our study focused on evaluating the safety and efficacy of Egypt’s first approved vaccine, the Sinopharm vaccine (BBIBP-CorV), and comparing these findings with other vaccines. Methods: An observational study was conducted in fifteen triage and isolation hospitals, from the 1st of March until the end of September 2021. The study included fully vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, and we measured vaccine effectiveness (using 1-aHR), the incidence rate of severely to critically ill hospitalized cases, COVID-19-related work absenteeism, and the safety of the vaccine as outcomes. Results: Of the 1364 healthcare workers who were interviewed, 1228 agreed to participate. After taking the hazard ratio into account, the vaccine effectiveness was found to be 67% (95% CI, 80–43%) for symptomatic PCR-confirmed cases. The incidence rate ratio for hospitalization was 0.45 (95% CI, 0.15–1.31) in the vaccinated group compared to the unvaccinated group, and there was a significant reduction in absenteeism among the vaccinated group (p < 0.007). Most adverse events were mild and well tolerated. Vaccinated pregnant and lactating mothers did not experience any sentinel adverse events. Conclusion: Our study found that the BBIBP-CorV vaccine was effective in protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19.

Background: The magnitude of MDR-TB cases was noticeable in Egypt. However, the last national survey was 11-years ago. The current survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of rifampicin resistance among sputum smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Egypt. Methods: A national health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Egypt among presumptive tuberculosis (TB) cases during the period from August 2020 to September 2021. Rifampicin resistance (RR) was detected using the Gene X-pert MTB/RIF. The prevalence of RR was calculated using crude, cluster, and weighted methods. Factors associated with RR were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate techniques. Results: Among the total 849 presumptive TB patients enrolled in the study, 710 (83.6%) patients were subjected to Gene X-pert testing (MTB/RIF). The crude prevalence of RR was 3.32% (95% CI: 1.89-4.76%) among the new cases and 9.46% (95% CI: 2.63-16.29%) among the retreated cases with an overall estimate of 3.99%; (95% CI: 2.51- 5.47%). By cluster analysis the overall prevalence of RR was 5.01% (95% CI: 2.90–7.13). Factors associated with the prevalence of RR were co-morbidity with bronchial asthma, drug abuse and history of contact with a family member with TB. Conclusion: The prevalence of RR among either new or retreated cases TB patients was lower than the previous rates in 2010-2012. The strongest predictor associated with RR was comorbidity with bronchial asthma.

Background: Bronchial asthma (BA) is a common chronic disease that undermines patients’ quality of life and represents a challenge to healthcare systems. Investigating determinants of BA control is essential for better management. This study aimed to investigate sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with BA control among Egyptian patients. Methods: Data were extracted from medical records of BA patients admitted to 16 Ministry of Health Chest Hospitals across 15 Egyptian governorates between December 2019 and April 2020. Unadjusted and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with BA control. Results: Among 3,248 participants, 54.4% were male, 4.8% were ≤ 20 years, 36.6% were current smokers, and 41.6% had a positive family history of BA. Common presentations included cough at night (82.1%), wheezes or cough after exercise (81.0%), and wheezes, cough, or chest tightness after exposure to allergens/pollutants (80.7%). Overall, 53.3% had controlled BA. In the multivariable model, age ≥ 61 years (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.51, 95% CI 1.04–2.29) was positively associated with BA control. Conversely, current smoking (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.41–0.64), chronic sinusitis (aOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.28–0.47), hypertension (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49–0.71), diabetes (aOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62–0.97), allergic sinusitis (aOR 0.38, 95% CI 0.26–0.54), and a family history of BA (aOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.58–0.79) were negatively associated with BA control. Conclusion: A significant proportion of BA patients in Egypt presented with uncontrolled BA. Chronic comorbidities, smoking, and family history were linked to poorer control. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve BA management, particularly among patients with comorbidities.

Dear Editor,About one-third of the human population is presently infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and about 10% during their life develop active tuberculosis (TB) (5% during the first 2 years following infection)...