Asthma prevalence among United States population insights from NHANES data analysis.

Asthma is a prevalent respiratory condition that poses a substantial burden on public health in the United States. Understanding its prevalence and associated risk factors is vital for informed policymaking and public health interventions. This study aims to examine asthma prevalence and identify major risk factors in the U.S. POPULATION: Our study utilized NHANES data between 1999 and 2020 to investigate asthma prevalence and associated risk factors within the U.S. POPULATION: We analyzed a dataset of 64,222 participants, excluding those under 20 years old. We performed binary regression analysis to examine the relationship of demographic and health related covariates with the prevalence of asthma. The study found that asthma affected 8.7% of the U.S. POPULATION: Gender emerged as a significant factor, with 36.0% of asthma patients being male and 64.0% female (p < 0.001). Individuals aged 60 and older having the highest asthma prevalence at 34.0%. Non-Hispanic whites had the highest prevalence at 46.4%, followed by non-hispanic blacks at 26.0%. In contrast, Mexican Americans and other hispanic individuals had lower rates, at 9.6% and 9.0%, respectively. Females were 1.76 times more likely to have asthma than males (p < 0.001). Obese individuals had a 1.74 times higher likelihood of current asthma compared to underweight individuals (p < 0.001). Notably, both Non-Hispanic Whites and Non-Hispanic Blacks showed higher odds of current asthma compared to Mexican Americans (with adjusted odds ratios of 2.084 and 2.096, respectively, p < 0.001). The research findings indicate that asthma is prevalent in 8.7% of the U.S. POPULATION: Our study highlights that individuals who are female, have low income, are obese, and smoke have the highest likelihood of being affected by asthma. Therefore, public health policies should prioritize addressing these risk factors in their preventive strategies.

Safety and immunogenicity of the NVX-CoV2373 vaccine as a booster in adults previously vaccinated with the BBIBP-CorV vaccine.

This phase 3 observer-blind, randomized, controlled study was conducted in adults ≥18 years of age to assess the safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 as a heterologous booster compared to BBIBP-CorV when utilized as a homologous booster. Approximately 1000 participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive a single dose of NVX-CoV2373 or BBIBP-CorV after prior vaccination with 2 or 3 doses of BBIBP-CorV. Solicited adverse events (AEs) were collected for 7 days after vaccination. Unsolicited AEs were collected for 28 days following the booster dose and serious adverse and adverse events of special interest (AESI) were collected throughout the study. Anti-spike IgG and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were measured at baseline, day 14, day 28, and day 180. The study achieved its primary non-inferiority endpoint and also demonstrated statistically higher neutralization responses when NVX-CoV2373 was utilized as a heterologous booster compared with BBIBP-CorV as a homologous booster. Both vaccines had an acceptably low reactogenicity profile, and no new safety concerns were found. Heterologous boosting with NVX-CoV2373 was a highly immunogenic and safe vaccine regimen in those previously vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV.

Correction: Stigmatizing attitudes towards depression among university students in Syria.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273483.].

Public Attitudes Towards COVID-19, Antibiotic Resistance, Preventive Measures: A Multi Center Cross-Sectional Study in the Arab Countries.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: COVID-19 has shown how crucial awareness of the need to protect public health is to global security. Antibiotic resistance due to antibiotic misuse is seen as a worldwide health issue. Antibiotic use was significant during the COVID-19 epidemic, according to several nations. This research aims to investigate public attitudes on COVID-19, antibiotic resistance, and preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East. METHODS: An online quantitative cross-sectional study in 17 Arabic nations was carried out between January 3 and March 4, 2022, using a structured questionnaire to evaluate participants' knowledge of COVID-19, their attitudes toward the new standard during the pandemic, and their use of antibiotics, and their resistance to them. The research was available to all Arabic people over 18 nations in the middle east. A convenient snowball sampling technique was used. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. To analyze the results, binominal logistic regression was utilized. Statistical significance was defined as a p value of 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 6145 responders, 24.1% believed COVID-19 might spread to asymptomatic people, whereas 13.6% thought using antibiotics would accelerate recovery from any illness. Moreover, half of the respondents said antibiotics only work against bacteria (64.6%). 70.8% of participants adopted the necessary safety measures. More than a third of respondents strongly supported placing foreign immigrants in quarantine (33%). However, more than 50% of those surveyed (52.5%) firmly supported using face masks in all public settings. Individuals with a medical education background had 2.6 times more appropriate understanding of antibiotic resistance than others. Furthermore, participants in the 30-49 age range had a better handle on the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance than other respondents by 1.1 times. CONCLUSION: Arab Health authorities should reconsider this health issue as soon about the inadequate level of awareness toward antibiotic use, resistance, and preventative practices during COVID-19. Many suggested strategies, especially solving the irregular antibiotic prescriptions during a COVID19 pandemic, should be implemented to increase public awareness of COVID19.

Efficacy and Safety of a Booster Vaccination with Two Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines on Symptomatic COVID-19 Infection in Adults: Results of a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 Trial in Abu Dhabi.

IMPORTANCE: The protective efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations has declined over time such that booster doses are required. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of booster doses of two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. DESIGN: This is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial aiming to evaluate the protective efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero cells) after inoculation with booster doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. SETTING: Healthy volunteers were recruited in an earlier phase 3 trial of two doses of inactivated vaccine. The participants in Abu Dhabi maintained the blind state of the trial and received a booster dose of vaccine or placebo at least six months after the primary immunization. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 18 and older with no history of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, or Middle East respiratory syndrome infection (via onsite inquiry) were screened for eligibility. INTERVENTIONS: A total of 9370 volunteers were screened and randomly allocated, of which 61 voluntarily withdrew from the screening stage without booster inoculation; 9309 received the booster vaccination, with 3083 in the WIV04 group, 3150 in the HB02 group, and 3076 in the alum-only group. Further, 5µg and 4µg of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virion was adsorbed into aluminum hydroxide in a 0.5 mL aqueous suspension for WIV04 and HB02 vaccines. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy outcome was the prevention of PCR-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 from 14 days after the booster vaccine in the per-protocol population. A safety analysis was performed in the intention-to-treat population. RESULTS: Symptomatic COVID-19 was identified in 36 participants in the WIV04 group (9.9 [95% CI, 7.2-13.8] per 1000 person-years), 28 in the HB02 group (7.6 [95% CI, 5.2-11.0] per 1000 person-years), and 193 in the alum-only group (55.2 [95% CI, 47.9-63.5] per 1000 person-years), resulting in a vaccine efficacy of 82.0% (95% CI, 74.2-87.8%) for WIV04 and 86.3% (95% CI, 79.6-91.1%) for HB02. One severe case of COVID-19 occurred in the alum-only group, and none occurred in the vaccine groups. Adverse reactions within seven days after vaccination occurred in 29.4% to 34.3% of participants in the three groups. Serious adverse events were rare and not related to vaccines (WIV04: 17 [0.5%]; HB02: 11 [0.4%]; alum only: 40 [1.3%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study evaluated the safety of the booster dose, which was well tolerated by participants. Booster doses given over six months after the completion of primary immunization can help to provide more-effective protection against COVID-19 in healthy people 18 years of age or older. At the same time, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies produced by the two groups of experimental vaccines exhibited extensive cross-neutralization against representative SARS-CoV-2 variants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04510207).

Meta-analysis of the relation between irritable bowel syndrome and antibodies against endogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its receptor.

This meta-analysis assessed the association between gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) antibodies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We defined a search strategy and implemented it with PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for English language publications. The data were evaluated for acceptability, and randomized controlled studies as well as case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies reporting the prevalence of GnRH antibodies in IBS patients were included. The total number of patients in the included studies was 1095: 270 patients in the IBS group and 825 patients in the control group. By comparing the IBS group and the control group, we found a statistically significant association between IBS and the increased prevalence of GnRH IgM antibodies (risk ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.58 to 3.31, P < 0.0001). We also found a statistically significant association between IBS and increased prevalence of GnRH receptor IgM antibodies compared with controls (risk ratio = 3.80, 95% confidence interval = 1.72 to 8.38, P = 0.001). The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant association between IBS and increased prevalence of GnRH IgM and GnRH receptor IgM antibodies.

Attitude of Syrian students toward GAD patients: An online cross-sectional study.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent condition and a significant cause of mental disability and poor quality of life. People with GAD have chronic worrying, restlessness, and discrimination from the general public; Little is known about the stigmatizing attitudes toward people with GAD among Syrian students. The questionnaires contained demographic data about age, gender, social status, personal stigma toward GAD scale, perceived stigma toward GAD scale, social distance with those with GAD, the participants' usual source of their knowledge about GAD, helpful interventions, and supporting information. A total of 1,370 replies were collected, but only 1,358 were used for analysis as 12 participants declined to complete the survey. About 44.1% of participants agreed that people with GAD could snap out of the problem, most of them being females (32.4% of the total population). Compared to medical students, more non-medical students (7.1% of the total population) believed that anxiety is a sign of personal weakness. This study demonstrated that Syrian college students showed a high level of stigmatizing and socially distancing attitudes toward people with GAD, particularly female and non-medical students.

Parents' acceptance to vaccinate children against COVID-19: A Syrian online survey.

After the widespread of COVID-19 virus worldwide, vaccination targeted reducing spread of cases and mortality rates. However, vaccination hesitancy was observed among the communities worldwide. Vaccination hesitancy involved parents regarding the decision of vaccinating their children- After obtaining ethical approval, an online cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 March to 22 April 2021 to evaluate the parents' acceptance of vaccinating their children against the COVID-19 virus in Syria. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis in IBM, SPSS V. 28.0 package program (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Among 283 participants, 105 participants agreed to vaccinate their children, and 178 were not. A significant correlation between age and vaccine willingness was found (P-value < 0.0001*), especially in the age group between 18 and 30 years old (45.2%). Parents who accepted vaccinating themselves were more willing to vaccinate their children (34.6%). According to our results, there is a greater need to enhance awareness and knowledge programs about the vaccine's effectiveness and encourage parents to accept giving the vaccine to their children.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19 infection, related behavior, antibiotics usage, and resistance among Syrian population: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Antibiotic resistance is seen as a worldwide health risk as a result of the overuse of antibiotics. Many countries noted that antibiotic usage was high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Syrians' knowledge, attitudes, and practice about the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to collect the data from the Syrian population from February 5 to March 4, 2022. Syrians 18 years or older all over the world were able to participate in this study. A convenience snowball sampling method was used. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. To examine the results, binominal logistic regression was used. Statistical significance was defined as a p < 0.05. Results: Out of 2406 respondents, 60.2% knew that transmission of COVID-19 could occur even if the patient has not developed any symptoms, and 91.6% were able to recognize the main clinical symptoms of COVID-19. There was a statistically significant difference between male and female knowledge of COVID-19 (p = 0.002), with males having 3.78 ± 2.1 (2.7-3.87) and females scoring 3.93 ± 2.3 (3.7-4.1). Newly graduated students have more knowledge of COVID-19 than other subtypes of Job (p = 0.0001), and those with medical practice are more knowledgeable than those without (p = 0.0001). Only 16.6% answered that taking antibiotics would not speed up the recovery from all the infections. 65.3% answered correctly that misuse of antibiotics could cause antibiotic resistance. Conclusion: Our study concluded that the Syrian population demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19 and moderate acceptance of the new norm. Knowledge regarding antibiotic use and resistance and practice of preventive measures was poor, which can encourage the health authorities to develop community education programs to increase public awareness of the usage of antibiotics and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anxiety and depression among patient's companions during admission to the ICU in the Omicron wave of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in Aleppo University Hospital.

BACKGROUND: After the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression have reached high levels, especially after the last wave, Omicron. Healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 patients or those who come in contact with them may exhibit high levels of anxiety and depression. Therefore, we aimed to assess anxiety and depression symptoms among ICU companions of COVID-19 patients. METHODS: From 30 November 2021 to 1 March 2022, sixth-year medical students at Aleppo University Hospital conducted interviews with the companions of COVID-19 patients who they brought their patient to the ICU centre as part of a cross-sectional quantitative study using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 tools to gauge their level of anxiety and depression among companions of COVID-19 patients. The data were analyzed using the SPSS program. In addition, logistic regression models were used to study possible factors of anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19. RESULTS: The total number was 997 participants in contact with COVID-19 patients. The mean score of the depression assessment tool (PHQ-9) in our questionnaire was 9.5 with a range of 0 to 27. At the same time, the anxiety assessment tool (GAD-7) had a mean score of 9.1, ranging from 0 to 21. A binary logistic regression was used to predict the relationship between depression and anxiety and various factors. We found that the companions with medical specialties were substantially less likely to develop anxiety than other companions [AOR = 0.459; 95%CI (0.23-0.9)], in addition females were substantially higher likely to develop depression than males [AOR = 1.322; 95%CI (0.992-1.762)]. 45.4% of companions had moderate to severe anxiety, in additon 50.8% of companions had moderate to severe depression. CONCLUSION: Our research reveals that moderate to severe anxiety and sadness are present in roughly half of the COVID19 patients' companions. Females, people with children, and hard workers were more inclined to feel anxious than others, and those who are not in the medical field were more likely to suffer from depression than others, thus it is critical to assist these groups during the present outbreaks (Omicron and Monkeybox).

Stigmatizing attitudes towards depression among university students in Syria.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a prominent cause of mental disability globally, having a severe impact on mental and physical health. Depression rehabilitation and treatment, whether through psychiatric management or counseling therapy, is hampered by stigmatizing attitudes regarding psychiatric illness patients impacted by societal and cultural factors. However, little is known about the stigma toward people with depression among the students in Syria. METHODOLOGY: A total of 1,056 students in Syria completed a questionnaire that included a case narrative illustrating depression. A total of 1,056 students in Syria completed a questionnaire that included a case narrative illustrating depression. The survey looked at attitudes toward depression, the desire to keep a safe distance from depressed people, stigma attitudes toward people with depression among college students, perceived beliefs about depressive people, gender (male and female), and the major section (medical and medical and non-medical) differences. RESULTS: Four questionnaires have refused to finish the survey, out of 1259 issued. Around 47.80% of respondents, most of whom were females, felt that sad people might snap out of it. 14.60 percent believe depression isn't even an actual medical condition. Surprisingly, 2% of respondents with a medical background thought the same thing. Regarding more extreme stigmatization, 16.80% of respondents thought depressed persons were harmful. People with depression will be avoided by 19.50 percent of respondents, and people with medical backgrounds will be avoided by 5.20 percent of respondents. Nearly one-fifth of those polled said they would not tell anyone if they were depressed. Only a tiny percentage of respondents (6.90 percent) said they would not hire or vote for a politician who suffers from depression (8.40 percent). CONCLUSION: According to the study, Syrian college students had a significant level of stigma and social distance toward mentally ill patients. Female students and non-medical students had a higher stigma in most subscale items for people with depression.

A National Cross-Sectional Survey of Bullying in Syrian Graduate Medical Education.

Bullying is defined as unpleasant behavior that causes someone to feel disturbed or embarrassed, affecting their self-esteem. Based on this premise, we set out to investigate bullying among Syrian graduate medical education residents and fellows, estimate its prevalence among specific subgroups, and give recommendations to help validate the findings and enhance the graduate medical education training experience. A sample of 278 residents and fellows in Syrian graduate medical school were recruited for the study in a national cross-sectional survey, with 276 participants completing a Bullying survey in 2021 and two people refusing to participate. Participants in the survey were asked to provide basic demographic and programming information and three general Bullying and 20 specific bullying behavior items. Differences across groups were compared for demographic and programmatic stratifications. About 51% of participants had experienced one or more bullying behaviors, 69% said they had been bullied, and 87% said they had witnessed Bullying. Residents and supervisor-attendings were the most common sources of perceived Bullying (~67 and 62%, respectively), followed by patients (58%), nurses (46%), and pharmacists (46%) (33%). More specific bullying behaviors have been recorded by female Arabic Syrians who are shorter than 5'8, have a body mass index (BMI) of 25, and are 30 years old or younger who were -compared to males- more likely to report attempts to minimize and devalue work (55 vs. 34%, P ≤ 0.01) and criticism and work monitoring (56 vs. 33%, P ≤ 0.01). In addition, general medical graduates and PGY-2-PGY-6 respondents reported more specific bullying behaviors than private medical graduates and post-graduate participants in the first year (PGY 1), respectively. For example, a significant difference is noticed when reporting unreasonable pressure to perform work (83 vs. 6%, P ≤ 0.01). Except for physical violence, which does not differ statistically between groups, most bullying behaviors were reported by participants with statistically significant differences between study groups-many residents and fellows in Syria's graduate medical school system report being bullied. Anti-bullying rules and a multidisciplinary strategy including all players in the medical system are essential to eradicating these pervasive practices in healthcare.

Peritoneal effusion as unusual complication post COVID 19 infection.

Introduction: COVID 19 is a new virus appeared in the late of 2019, and spread widely through the world, causing respiratory symptoms and sometimes could cause digestive manifestations. Case presentation: We reported a case of a 72 years old women presented with a complaint of dry cough, dyspnea and swollen abdomen, which she diagnosed with COVID19 and her medical history showed type 2 diabetes mellitus and acute kidney injury one month prior to her presentation. CT-abdomen showed Ascites and slightly hepatomegaly then we performed prednisolone antibiotics medication. After a week the Ascites decreased and her condition was good and stable. Discussion: Few similar cases have been reported in the literature as case reports, but our article reports the first case report from Syria, which may increase the clinical awareness towards rare complications of COVID19 infection among Syrian clinical doctors, especially pulmonologists. Conclusion: The peritoneal effusion consider as s rare digestive manifestation of COVID19 that Clinical doctors should take aware off.

Association of familial Mediterranean fever and epicardial adipose tissue: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and Aim: Some studies reported a positive link between familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and epicardial adipose tissue. Our meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether there is a significant association between FMF and increased epicardial adipose tissue thickness. Methods: We searched the following databases: PUBMED, WOS, OVID, SCOPUS, and EMBASE. Inclusion criteria were any original articles that reported epicardial adipose tissue in FMF patients with no age restriction, excluding reviews, case reports, editorials, animal studies, and non-English studies. Thirty eligible studies were screened full text but only five studies were suitable. We used RevMan software (5.4) for the meta-analysis. Results: The total number of patients included in the meta-analysis in the FMF patients group is 256 (mean age = 24.3), and the total number in the control group is 188 (mean age = 24.98). The pooled analysis between FMF patients and controls was [mean difference = 0.82 (95% CI = 0.25-1.39), p-value = 0.005]. We observed heterogeneity that was not solved by random effects (p > 0.00001). We performed leave one out test by removing the Kozan et al. study, and the heterogeneity was solved (p = 0.07), and the results were (MD = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.52-1.43, p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: FMF patients are at increased risk of developing epicardial adipose tissue compared to controls. More multicenter studies with higher sample sizes are needed to support our results.

Isolated humeral tuberculosis lymphadenitis in healthy woman: Case report.

Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis is a disease that may effect on many organs such as the lung, peritoneum and spread to adjacent lymph nodes in advanced stages, but it is rarely to be as an isolated lymph node without accompanying pulmonary or extra pulmonary tuberculosis in healthy persons. Case presentation: A 40 -Years-female presented with a chief complaint of Pain in the lateral side of the Right humerus above the elbow, with no medical history, on clinical examination there was a painful palpable mass in mentioned place. The mass was removed surgically under local anesthesia and sent for pathological autopsy. The result of the pathological autopsy was tuberculosis lymphadenitis. After that, the patient has been sent to a specialized center for tuberculosis to receive the suitable treatment. Discussion: More studies should be done to investigate the potential causes of these unusual cases and finding the accurate physiological mechanisms that inhibit the usual manifestations of tuberculosis in these patients to avoid advanced complications. Conclusion: Isolated tuberculosis lymphadenitis in healthy persons is unusual case in the literature, which the clinical doctors should be careful in examination the patients who admitting with abnormal lymph nodes and unknown history exposure to tuberculosis. .

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2: A case report.

Introduction: Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome 2(APS 2) is immune-mediated destruction that affects two or more endocrine glands and causes a constellation of multiple glands insufficiencies. Case presentation: we reported a rare case 9 years old male diagnosed with APS 2; he had adrenal insufficiency three years ago due to leak adherence to hydrocortisone. He was admitted to the hospital for adrenal crises after hemodynamic stability; laboratory evaluation showed that he had Hashimoto's thyroiditis, celiac disease, and the glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GAD) Anti-islet cell antibodies were positive, so he was also predisposed to DM 1 later. Discussion: APS 2, also known as Schmidt's syndrome, is usually defined by the occurrence of the same fludrocortisone or more of the followings: primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), Grave's disease, primary hypothyroidism, type 1 diabetes mellitus, celiac disease, and pernicious anemia. Conclusion: This case report underlines the importance of early recognition and treatment of acute endocrine diseases and the necessity to investigate pediatric patients with autoimmune diseases for coexisting conditions.

Tonic non-colonic convulsions-status epilepticus- as the presenting complaint of COVID-19.

Introduction: COVID19 might present as neurological symptoms including headaches, dizziness, anosmia, stroke, and loss of consciousness. Cases with severe COVID-19 are more likely to be complicated by neurological symptoms, but tonic non-colonic convulsion is still a rare presentation of COVID19 as an initial symptom. Case presentation: A 23-years old male presented to the ambulance with a complaint of loss of consciousness for more than 1 h and tonic convulsions without clonic movements. The investigations including computed tomography for the brain and chest and lumbar puncture were within normal range and the diagnostic workup concluded that COVID-19 is the cause of the status epilepticus. Discussion: Our case demonstrates a tonic non-clonic convulsion as a possible complication for COVID-19 infection as some respiratory viruses can cause neurological symptoms. After excluding the co-incidence of other pathological etiologies, we highly suspect that the seizures in our case are generated by COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: This case represents a rare case in the literature review which can increase the awareness of tonic non-clonic seizures and other neurological manifestations as the presenting symptom of the COVID19.

Corrigendum: Attitude of Syrian students toward GAD patients: An online cross-sectional study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.955321.].