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With the development of communications and transportation worldwide, the challenge of controlling epidemiological diseases becomes higher. The COVID19 has put all nations in a lethal confront with a severe disease that needed serious and painful actions. The sooner the actions, the less destructive the impact. In this paper, we incorporate what we believe is crucial but applicable to control the spread of COVID19 in the populations, that is, quarantine. We keep the model as simple as SI Kermack-McKendrick model with an additional compartment of quarantined patients. We established the system's basic properties and studied the stability of the disease-free equilibrium and its relation to the basic reproduction number R 0 in which we calculated its formula. The focus of our study is to measure the effect of quarantine rate on controlling the spread of COVID19. We use the data collected from the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia. We studied three different values of the quarantine rate where newly infectious patients are detected and isolated within 14, 7, and 5 days. The simulations show a significant effect of the quarantine where COVID19 can be fully controlled if the newly infected patient enters the quarantine within five days. These results were proposed to the Public Health Authority in Saudi Arabia and approved by the Ministry of Health in which they applied promptly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the pandemic started, Saudi Arabia applied extreme measures in responses to the pandemic crises, which have adversely affected individuals' mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe trends in mental health disorder ED visit before and after the pandemic in two medical centers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using data from electronic health records in the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs' (MNG-HA) in Saudi Arabia. Multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the age and sex differences in mental health disorder ED visits before and during the COVID19 pandemic. Results: A total of 1117 ED psychiatric visits, a sharp increase in the number of psychiatric ED visits during the pandemic with an average increase of 25.66% was observed. During the pandemic, psychiatric ED visits were significantly higher in females (adjusted AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.08, 1.83) than males. During the COVID19 pandemic, generalized anxiety disorder was the most common psychiatric ED disorder with reported increase of visits by 53.34% (p-value 0.005). Conclusion: ED psychiatric visits have consistently increased before and during the COVID19 pandemic. Interventions for mental health related disorders are urgently needed for preventing mental health problems among females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the clinical outcome of patients with confirmed COVID-19 who had diabetes mellitus as a comorbidity at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah. Methods: Retrospective study conducted at an academic tertiary hospital, included 147 adults with a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, and a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The data included: age, gender, body mass index (BMI), HbA1c level, medications, co-morbidities, length of hospital stay, the clinical outcome of the patients, and complications related to COVID-19 during the hospital stay. Data were analyzed using Stata version 16. Results: 54% had HbA1c levels >9%. With regard to other health problems, 73% reported having health problems. 31% and 18% required ICU admission and intubation respectively. Median length of hospital stay was 12 days. Regarding clinical outcomes, the majority recovered without complications (78%), while 9% recovered with complications and 13% died. Conclusions: The difference in outcomes based on HbA1c levels was not statistically significant, therefore there was no difference in other clinical parameters based on the different levels of HbA1c. Further, large studies should be conducted to determine the relationships between diabetes, antidiabetic medications, and COVID-related morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has caused health care provider to experience extraordinary psychological stress. Objective: This study assessed the psychological well-being of nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak and factors associated with it. Methods: An online survey was sent to all nurses working at the Ministry of Health Hospitals and living in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia. A total of 219 nurses were completed the survey. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale -- 21 items (DASS-21) assessed the psychological well-being of respondents in the previous week. Results: One -quarter of nurses (24.7%) reported extremely severe symptoms of anxiety, more than one third (37%) reported extremely sever symptoms of stress, less than one quarter (14.1%) reported extremely sever symptoms of depression. Higher anxiety scores were significantly associated with direct contact with confirmed COVID 19 cases (p= 0.08), general health status (p= 0.001) and marital status (p= 0.042). Higher DASS-21 Stress scores were significantly associated with working more than eight hours per shift (p=0.024), marital status(P=0.036) and general health status (p <0.001). Higher DASS-21 Depression scores was significantly associated general health status (p <0.001). Conclusions & implication for practice: The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant effect on the psychological well-being of Saudis nurses, particularly nurses who were married, had contact with COVID 19 cases, had working more than eight hours per shift, and had poor general health status. Protecting the psychological health of nursing staff is essential, nursing leaders are in charge of providing social support for nurses so that they will be able to cope with their anxiety, stress, and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With the attack of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world, many countries have opted for the lockdown for preventing the spread of the virus. There have been many proposals for the prevention at individual level. These include repeated washing of hands, the sanitization, and the usage of the mouth masks. There have been many studies that suggested various types of the mouth masks for the prevention of the infection. Hence, in the present study, we intend to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of the health-care personnel of the different types of the face masks. Materials and Methods: We conducted the present review by the cross sectional survey method. The study is questionnaire based that was done for a period of 6 months. The survey was done by online only. The participation was voluntary and done in the state wide hospitals in the kingdom of the Saudi Arabia. The survey compromised twenty questions that assessed the knowledge and awareness of the health-care personnel of the different types of the face masks. Results: The total number of the participants was 1000. All were aware of the proper usage of the masks. There was noted enough awareness of the types of the masks among the participants. However, the awareness can further be enhanced. Conclusion: At the present condition of the infection rate, there may be a third wave of the pandemic around the world. As it has been shown in many studies that these barriers have prevented the infection rate, the wisdom points toward the prevention of the disease. The awareness has increased among the health care and also the personnel are conscious of the types of the masks. The same can be evaluated for the general public and the method of the mask wear can be appraised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Diversify types of vaccines. • Increase investment in basic research in infectious diseases and vaccines development technologies. • Improve alignment between regulators and vaccine developers. • Increase transparency in vaccine development strategies. • Increase measures for fair vaccine accessibility and affordability. The 11th KAIMRC Annual Research Forum Themed "COVID-19 Vaccine: Global Challenges and Prospects Forum" discussed COVID19 Vaccines. The Forum was a vital event as it provided a hub for leading COVID-19 vaccine scientists, regulators, developers, and distributors to learn about COVID-19 vaccines in development, make decisions about the best vaccines to use, and develop appropriate plans for global distribution and pricing. The COVID-19: Global Efforts for Development, Clinical Trials and Distribution Symposium brought together leading scientists, clinicians, pharma, decision makers, academic institutions and businesses to present and discuss the vaccines that are being currently developed for the COVID19. This event was held to shed light on these vaccines as many are at the late stage of Phase III clinical trials and ready to be marketed. This follows the confusion that few vaccines were produced and pushed into phase III without sharing all the necessary data preventing the scientific and clinical community to judge its efficacy and safety. This event allowed a discussion into the challenges in the distribution, pricing and accessibility of the vaccines. Moreover, the symposium discussed the importance to invest in Biotech-Pharma to combat and overcome any future health crisis. The discussion focused on Saudi Arabia leading initiatives as front runner in the field among G20 members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Diabetes mellitus (57.7%) was the most common coexisting illness followed by hypertension (53.6%) and dyslipidemia (22.7%). • Among common blood group types, A+ was associated with higher 30 days-ICU mortality as well as thrombosis during ICU stay. • Patients who developed acute kidney Injury (AKI) or required mechanical ventilation (MV) within 24 h of ICU admission, were associated with higher 30-day ICU mortality. • The most common complication during ICU stay was respiratory failure that required MV (71.4%), followed by acute kidney injury (AKI), thrombosis and liver injury. • The median time to reach the viral load peak and to be undetected was seven and thirteen days respectively from the first positive sample. Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) manifested by a broad spectrum of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic manifestations to severe illness and death. The purpose of the study was to extensively describe the clinical features and outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. This was a multicenter, non-interventional cohort study for all critically ill patients aged 18 years or older, admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between March 1 to August 31, 2020, with an objectively confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) on nasopharyngeal and/or throat swabs. Multivariate logistic regression and generalized linear regression were used. We considered a P value of <0.05 statistically significant. A total of 560 patients met the inclusion criteria. An extensive list of clinical features was associated with higher 30-day ICU mortality rates, such as requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) or developing acute kidney injury within 24 hours of ICU admission, higher body temperature, white blood cells, blood glucose level, serum creatinine, fibrinogen, procalcitonin, creatine phosphokinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total iron-binding capacity. During ICU stay, the most common complication was respiratory failure that required MV (71.4%), followed by acute kidney injury (AKI) and thrombosis with a proportion of 46.8% and 11.4%, respectively. Among patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the ICU, several variables were associated with an increased risk of ICU mortality at 30 days. Respiratory failure that required MV, AKI, and thrombosis were the most common complications during ICU stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: A physical therapist may become infected while treating a patient since they are in direct contact with them or within a two-meter radius. In addition, physical therapists may feel that they are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection when applying rehabilitation practices, which often involve direct contact with patients. The physical therapist were surveyed on their level of anxiety and depression due to the Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19)., Methods: The physical therapists were asked to complete two reliable and validated scales, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), to identify the presence of anxiety and depression in the participants. In addition, logistic regression models were used to determine the general characteristics of anxiety or depression., Results: Among the 117 physical therapists who completed and participated in the study, 74 (63%) and 65 (55.5%) physical therapists reported having symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. The prevalence of overall anxiety levels was higher; mild (OR = 2.09; P = 0.08), moderate (OR = 2.26; P = 0.15), and severe levels six times as high (OR = 6.28; P = 0.1) in females compared to male physical therapists. Females, younger age, unmarried individuals, not having children, and not living with family showed a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression. Binary logistic regression analysis also revealed that the female gender, a single individual, and having no children were associated with anxiety and depression., Conclusions: A significant percentage of physical therapists reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, especially among females, younger age, single individuals, not having children, and not living with family. Thus, the mental health of physical therapists is suggested to be constantly and cautiously monitored, especially for those at high risk of developing psychological symptoms., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: COVID-19 is newly emerging infectious disease that spread globally at unpredictable and unique pattern to the extent that the World Health Organization announced COVID-19 as a pandemic in the first couple months of 2020. This study aims to describe clinical and demographic features of COVID-19 patients and the influence of various risk factors on the severity of disease., Methods: This research is a retrospective study based on Saudi Arabia's ministry of health's Covid-19 data. The analysis relies on data of all COVID-19 patients recorded in Riyadh between 1st, March 2020 and 30th, July 2020. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the effect of demographic characteristic, clinical presentation, and comorbidities on infection severity., Results: A total number of 1026 COVID-19 patients were identified based on the demographic data as follows: 709 cases (69% of cases) were males and 559 cases (54% of cases) were Saudi. Most of patients were diagnosed with mild signs and symptoms 697 (68% of cases), while 164 patient (16% of cases) demonstrated moderate signs and symptoms, and 103 cases (10%) were severe and 62 (6%) had critical febrile illness. Fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath were the most common symptoms among patients with COVID-19. Among studied comorbidities in COVID-19 patients, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the most prevalent. The results from the bivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, diabetes mellitus, asthma, smoking, and fever are associated with severe or critically ill cases., Conclusion: The findings of this study show that old age, fever, and comorbidities involving diabetes mellitus, asthma, and smoking were significantly associated with infection severity., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The spread of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected both the public health and the global economy. The current study was aimed at analysing the genetic sequence of this highly contagious corona virus from an evolutionary perspective, comparing the genetic variation features of different geographic strains, and identifying the key miRNAs as well as their gene targets from the transcriptome data of infected lung tissues., Methods: A multilevel robust computational analysis was undertaken for viral genetic sequence alignment, phylogram construction, genome-wide transcriptome data interpretation of virus-infected lung tissues, miRNA mapping, and functional biology networking., Results: Our findings show both genetic similarities as well as notable differences in the S protein length among SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS viruses. All SARS-CoV-2 strains showed a high genetic similarity with the parent Wuhan strain, but Saudi Arabian, South African, USA, Russia and New Zealand strains carry 3 additional genetic variations like P333L (RNA -dependant RNA polymerase), D614G (spike), and P4715L (ORF1ab). The infected lung tissues demonstrated the upregulation of 282 (56.51%) antiviral defensive response pathway genes and downregulation of 217 (43.48%) genes involved in autophagy and lung repair pathways. By miRNA mapping, 4 key miRNAs (hsa-miR-342-5p, hsa-miR-432-5p, hsa-miR-98-5p and hsa-miR-17-5p), targeting multiple host genes (MYC, IL6, ICAM1 and VEGFA) as well as SARS-CoV2 gene (ORF1ab) were identified., Conclusion: Systems biology methods offer a new perspective in understanding the molecular basis for the faster spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The antiviral miRNAs identified in this study may aid in the ongoing search for novel personalized therapeutic avenues for COVID patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) act on the immune system, suggesting a need for caution during the SARS-CoV2/Covid-19 pandemic. A group of experts in MS care from Saudi Arabia convened to consider the impact of Covid-19 on MS care in that country, and to develop consensus recommendations on the current application of DMT therapy. Covid-19 has led to disruption to the care of MS in Saudi Arabia as elsewhere. The Expert Panel considered a DMT's overall tolerability/safety profile to be the most important consideration on whether or not to prescribe at this time. Treatment can be started or continued with interferon beta, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, or natalizumab, as these DMTs are not associated with increased risk of infection (there was no consensus on the initiation of other DMTs). A consensus also supported continuing treatment regimens with fingolimod (or siponimod) and cladribine tablets for a patient without active Covid-19. No DMT should be imitated in a patient with active Covid-19, and (only) interferon beta could be continued in the case of Covid-19 infection. Vaccination against Covid-19 is a therapeutic priority for people with MS. New treatment should be delayed for 2-4 weeks for vaccination. Where treatment is already ongoing, vaccination against Covid-19 should be administered immediately without disruption of treatment (first-line DMTs, natalizumab, fingolimod), when lymphocytes have recovered sufficiently (cladribine tablets, alemtuzumab) or 4 months after the last dose (ocrelizumab). These recommendations will need to be refined and updated as new clinical evidence in this area emerges., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Dental professionals have a major role in the fight against the spread and transmission of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate awareness and practice of dentists in Saudi Arabia regarding COVID-19 and the utilization of infection control methods. A 24-item questionnaire was developed and distributed through social media to 627 dentists working in Saudi Arabia. 177 questionnaires were completed (28.2% response rate). Most dentists were aware about the transmission, incubation time and main clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Almost 83% of the respondents appreciate the risk of droplets, aerosols and airborne particles in transmission of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. Among the common practices of participants are measuring patient's body temperature before undertaking a dental treatment (88.7%), cleaning the environmental surfaces at the dental clinic after each patient (91.5%) and restriction of dental treatment to emergency cases (82.5%). It seems that practicing dentists in Saudi Arabia are fairly aware about COVID-19. The practices of the surveyed dentists appear to be mostly consistent with the current guidelines and recommendations for infection control of COVID-19 in the dental clinic. Some drawbacks in knowledge and a number of inappropriate practices can be identified and require the attention of health authorities.

Aim of this work is to assess the fatality rate of Covid-19 infection for Saudi Arabia. The preliminary data up to June 3, 2020 suggest a fatality rate at about 0.9% of the more severely infected. This is much smaller than the values experienced in Western Europe, where the outbreak has been however more widespread. The likely fatality rate including mild and asymptomatic is about 0.2%. This is 4 times larger than the death rate for influenza and pneumonia for Saudi Arabia., (Copyright © 2020 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)