Background: The closure of educational activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unplanned shift from traditional learning to a setup that exclusively involves digital teaching and learning. Within this context, the present study aimed to explore undergraduate medical students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of synchronized online learning at Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using virtual focus group discussions synchronously with the help of a discussion guide consisting of seven open-ended questions. Overall, 60 medical students were recruited using a maximum variation sampling technique; these students then participated in eight focus group discussions. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for thematic contents using the standard (Mayring, Kiger. M. E. and Braun.V) content analysis framework. Results: A thematic content analysis yielded four core themes: (1) educational impact, (2) time management, (3) challenges encountered, and (4) preferences for the future. The online modality was well-received, and all participants agreed that online sessions were time saving and that their performance was improved due to enhanced utility of time; however, they indicated that they encountered some challenges, including methodological, content perception, technical, and behavioral challenges during sessions and online exams. Most of the preclinical students preferred online learning for the upcoming academic years. Conclusion: Synchronized online classes were well-accepted by the medical students. This represents significant and promising potential for the future of medical education. The principles of the online learning model and learning outcomes should be rigorously and regularly evaluated to monitor its effectiveness.

A global epidemic of obesity has been documented, particularly among African countries. While central obesity and overweight have been reported for many countries, very limited information exists about the prevalence of these health problems in Sudan, and these data are nonexistent for Eastern Sudan. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and central obesity, as well as the factors associated with both, among adults in Gadarif, Eastern Sudan. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gadarif, Eastern Sudan, during the period of January through May 2018. Sociodemographic and health characteristics data were collected through a questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were measured using the standard methods. Both descriptive and inferential statics were applied to analyze the data. A total of 594 adults participated in the study; 70.4% of them were female. The mean (standard deviation) age was 44.98 (16.64) years. Of the 594 enrolled participants, 33.7%, 7.4%, 26.8%, and 32.2% were normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese, respectively. The prevalence of central obesity was (67.8%). Approximately, one-third of the participants (29.29%) were obese and had central obesity. In the multinomial regression, being married was the main risk factor associated with overweight, and older age, female sex, being married and hypertension were significantly associated with obesity. In the binary regression, the main risk factors associated with central obesity were female sex and being married. The prevalence rates of both obesity and central obesity among the study participants were high. Older age and hypertension were only associated with obesity. Obesity and central obesity were significantly associated with female sex and being married. This study provided valuable baseline information to develop appropriate strategies for the prevention and control of obesity in Eastern Sudan.

Handwashing (HW) with water and soap is one of the cheapest and most effective ways of protecting oneself and others against the coronavirus. Here, the HW knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Saudi adults were assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional study conducted between May 8 and June 8, 2020, during a partial lockdown period. A web-based validated questionnaire was distributed through different social media platforms, and the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, seven items related to knowledge, four items related to attitudes, and thirteen items related to the practice of HW were assessed. A total of 1323 (51% male and 49% female) adults from all regions of Saudi Arabia responded to the questionnaire. The overall mean (± SD) was 5.13 (± 1.18) for knowledge of HW and COVID-19, 2.79 (± 0.77) for attitude toward HW, and 7.8 (± 2.56) for HW practice. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed factors associated with knowledge to be age and family income. Sex, educational level, family income, and HW knowledge were associated with negative and neutral attitude, whereas age, sex, family income, and HW knowledge were associated with practice. These results suggest that HW knowledge was strongly associated with positive attitudes toward HW and correct HW practice in Saudi adults during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Background: Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease that can lead to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. To our knowledge, there has been no systematic review and meta-analysis of schistosomiasis during pregnancy. Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant published studies were searched in international databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar), from their inception until May 31, 2020. The retrieved studies were assessed for quality using the Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. OpenMeta Analyst software was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Thirty-two studies enrolling 21024 pregnant women were included in this meta-analysis. All 32 of these studies were conducted in Africa. Of these studies, 19, 11, and 2 investigated S. mansoni, S. haematobium, and combined S. mansoni and S. haematobium infections, respectively. The pooled prevalence estimate of schistosomiasis during pregnancy was 13.2% (95 CI 11.0–15.4). A random model was used because of high heterogeneity (Q = 99.14; P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, the pooled prevalence estimate of S. haematobium was significantly higher than the pooled prevalence estimates of S. mansoni [22.5% (95% CI 1.6–43.5) vs 8.7% (95% CI 6.0–11.3, P = 0.016), respectively]. The results of meta-regression analyses showed a non-significant difference in the prevalence of schistosomiasis during pregnancy according to the study sample sizes and year of publication. Only six studies evaluated the association between schistosomiasis during pregnancy and anemia. Schistosomiasis was associated with anemia in these six studies (OR = 3.02, 95% = 1.25‒7.28, P = 0.014). Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that schistosomiasis during pregnancy is an existing health problem. This meta-analysis also highlights the lack of data on the determinants and outcomes of schistosomiasis during pregnancy. Preventive measures are needed and could be part of antenatal care in areas endemic with schistosomiasis. Graphical

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues with resurgent second and third waves worldwide. Vaccination is one of several measures that are needed to end this pervasive threat. Pakistan, however, has a relatively low rate of routine vaccine acceptance. Our study aimed to determine the proportion and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) among adults in Pakistan. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted from December 27, 2020 to March 6, 2021. Non-probability sampling was applied to recruit study participants through social media platforms (ie, Facebook and Twitter) and through free messaging services (WhatsApp). Stata 16 was used to generate descriptive statistics and logistic regression models for identifying predictive variables of vaccine hesitancy. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered strong evidence against the null hypothesis. Results: Out of 1014 participants, 35.8% (n=363) were hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for VH included concerns about side effects (42.4%), belief in conspiracy theories (20.1%), perceived inefficacy of the vaccine (13.2%), and perceived protection through precautionary measures (12.6%). Urban residency (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.54– 3.57), reservations about vaccine safety (AOR 3.29, 95% CI 1.68– 6.44), uncertainty about vaccine efficacy (AOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.50– 4.86), failure of the vaccine to reduce hospitalization and death (AOR 6.36, 95% CI 4.01– 10.22), and unfelt need for vaccination awareness among public (AOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.28– 3.14) were associated with higher rates of VH. At least one chronic disease (AOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39– 0.92), knowing someone infected with COVID-19 (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39– 0.81), and trusting information from the ministry of health (AOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41– 0.99) and physicians (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13– 0.53) were found to be associated with lower rates of COVID-19 VH. Conclusion: More than one third of survey participants were VH. COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Pakistan can be improved through targeted health education strategies and planned interventions that address the barriers identified in the present study.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health problem. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of uropathogens in the outpatient departments (OPDs) at the clinics of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2016. Nonrepetitive midstream urine samples (1273) were cultured on standard culture media. Identification and susceptibility testing of causative microorganisms was performed using the fully automated VITEK 2 Compact system. Results: Out of the 1273 nonrepetitive urine samples, 418 (32.8%) exhibited significant growth of UTI-causing microbes, 377 (90.2%) of which were Gram-negative bacilli. The commonly isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli (157, 37.6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (70, 16.7%), Proteus mirabilis (17, 4.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (24, 5.8%), Enterobacter cloacae (11, 2.6%), Enterococcus faecalis (12, 2.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus (14, 3.3%). Overall, drug resistance was observed in 91.3% (n=381/418) of the samples, with a majority (80%) exhibiting resistance to at least 2 drugs. Drug resistance was commonly observed against ampicillin (89.9%), oxacillin (75.6%), piperacillin (85.4%), clindamycin (56.1%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (74.5%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50.4%). Conclusion: The uropathogens E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa and multidrug resistance pose serious therapeutic threats in the setting of this study. A concerted and systematic effort is required to rapidly identify high-risk patients and to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance in this region.