Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Among Qassim University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction Depression and anxiety are two types of mental disorders. Individuals with depression usually experience depressed mood, loss of interest or enjoyment, and reduced energy, leading to increased fatigability that diminishes their activity. Meanwhile, anxiety disorders refer to a group of mental disorders characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to mass quarantine, isolation, and lockdowns worldwide, which have impacted the population's mental health. In Saudi Arabia, a study showed that 17.1% and 10.5% of the population had moderate-to-severe features of depression and anxiety, respectively. Demonstrating the prevalence of depression and anxiety in educational institutions is essential. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of depression and anxiety among students at Qassim University during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. The students were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. An online questionnaire was sent to the selected students via e-mail and social media platforms. The questionnaire contained three parts: the first part included socio-demographic questions, the second part contained the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure depression, and the third part contained the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire to measure anxiety. Results In total, 411 university students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 75%). The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 40.6% and 29.4%, respectively. Females had higher levels of depression and anxiety than men (p < 0.001). The College of Arabic Language and Social Studies (CALSS) had the highest prevalence of depression and anxiety (42.9% and 30.6%, respectively). Conclusion We found a high post-pandemic prevalence of depression and anxiety among the students at Qassim University. Our findings demonstrate the need for psychological intervention programs for the students of Qassim University.

COVID-19: Post-recovery long-term symptoms among patients in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: After recovery from acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many patients experience long-term symptoms in different body systems. The aim of the present study was to identify these symptoms, their severity, and their duration as a first step in building a system to classify post-recovery long-term symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: An online-based cross-sectional survey was administered between September and October 2020. Data regarding the severity of post-recovery symptoms and their duration were collected using an Arabic questionnaire divided into six categories encompassing the 20 most prevalent symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 979 patients recovered from COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia in the study period, of whom 53% were male and 47% were female. The most common symptoms included general fatigue and weakness (73% each), with moderate severity of neurological symptoms including mood changes (41%) and insomnia (39%). Among the special senses, loss of smell and taste of marked severity were reported by 64% and 55% among respiratory symptoms, cough of mild severity (47%), and dyspnea of moderate severity (43%). Loss of appetite of moderate severity was reported in 42%, and diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea of mild severity were reported by 53%, 50%, and 44% of respondents, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 warrant patient follow-up. The authors propose a classification system as a starting point to guide the identification and follow-up of long-term symptoms post-recovery, and recommend larger-scale studies to broaden the definition of recovery from COVID-19, which appears to have two phases, acute and chronic.

Early prediction keys for COVID-19 cases progression: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDː: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), within few months of being declared as a global pandemic by WHO, the number of confirmed cases has been over 75 million and over 1.6 million deaths since the start of the Pandemic and still counting, there is no consensus on factors that predict COVID-19 case progression despite the diversity of studies that reported sporadic laboratory predictive values predicting severe progression. We review different biomarkers to systematically analyzed these values to evaluate whether are they are correlated with the severity of COVID-19 disease and so their ability to be a predictor for progression. METHODS: The current meta-analysis was carried out to identify relevant articles using eight different databases regarding the values of biomarkers and risk factors of significance that predict progression of mild or moderate cases into severe and critical cases. We defined the eligibility criteria using a PICO model. RESULTS: Twenty-two relevant articles were selected for meta-analysis the following biomarkers C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, LDH, neutrophil, %PD-1 expression, D-dimer, creatinine, AST and Cortisol all recorded high cut-off values linked to severe and critical cases while low lymphocyte count, and low Albumin level were recorded. Also, we meta- analyzed age and comorbidities as a risk factors of progression as hypertension, Diabetes and chronic obstructive lung diseases which significantly correlated with cases progression (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ː The current meta-analysis is the first step for analysing and getting cut-off references values of significance for prediction COVID-19 case progression. More studies are needed on patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and on a larger scale to establish clearer threshold values that predict progression from mild to severe cases. In addition, more biomarkers testing also help in building a scoring system for the prediction and guiding for proper timely treatment.

Medical Students and COVID-19: Knowledge, Preventive Behaviors, and Risk Perception.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an international public health threat. This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19-related knowledge, preventive behaviors, and risk perception among Saudi Arabian medical students and interns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year medical students and interns between June and August 2020 at three colleges of medicine in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. A previously validated questionnaire was distributed as an online survey. RESULTS: The total mean knowledge score was 12.5/15 points; 83.9% achieved a high score. The mean score of self-reported preventive behavior was 8.40; 94.1% achieved a high score. The overall mean risk perception score was 5.34/8 points; 31.6% achieved a high score. CONCLUSION: Medical students assessed in this study displayed sufficient knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and an average level of risk perception. Lower scores by younger medical students suggest that they must improve their COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception, as they are a potential source of health information in their communities.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about HIV/AIDS and People Living with HIV among Medical Students at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a global health problem. Since Saudi Arabia is becoming more open to the world, it is important to assess future doctors' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding HIV/AIDS and people living with HIV (PLHIV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 204 male medical students of Qassim University who answered a self-administered questionnaire about HIV KAPs. RESULTS: The mean HIV knowledge (HK) and attitude scores were 11.62 (64.5%) and 37.82 (67.5%), respectively. Positive correlations were observed between HK and attitude (r = 0.266) and HK and academic year (r = 0.277). No significant correlation was found between attitude and academic year (r = 0.097). More than half of the students exhibited ignorance about some modes of transmission such as deep kissing and vertical transmission. Around 81% of the students stated that they would not visit the homes of friends with HIV-infected members. Furthermore, 73.1% of the participants indicated that they would not provide care to HIV-positive relatives in their own homes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show a modest level of HK and negative attitudes toward PLHIV. The study identified the main knowledge gaps in the transmission and prevention of HIV. Educational institutions should tailor their educational approach based on the identified gaps, which might help to ease the stigma and negative attitudes.

Public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes regarding epilepsy in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a chronic condition and has significant negative consequences to quality of life. Misconceptions regarding epilepsy among communities with lower rates of education have led to false beliefs and ideas. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes about epilepsy in Saudi population at Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a previously validated 14-item questionnaire. The data were collected online via WhatsApp application. The Saudi adult population (18 years and older) within Qassim region was sampled for the present study. RESULTS: A total of 403 respondents completed the survey and the majority (68.8%) were less than 30 years old. Nearly all participants (97.0%) had heard of epilepsy or convulsive seizures; 43.5% knew a person with the disease; and 48.4% had seen a person having a seizure. Participants cited brain disorders (68.1%) as the most common cause of epilepsy, followed by mental disorders (61.9%) then hereditary diseases (48.8%). Only 5.6% would protest against their children associating with a person who occasionally experiences seizures, and a similarly small percentage (7.9%) would do so if their son or daughter decided to marry such a person. CONCLUSION: The public's general attitudes and awareness of epilepsy were quite good; however, knowledge regarding this medical condition is still inadequate. Thus, more campaigns are needed in order to increase societal awareness on epilepsy, obtaining help from governmental agencies, health institutions, mass media, and other health-related organizations.