Impact of running race in warm weather on hematological and biochemical parameters.

OBJECTIVE: Exercise is highly essential for a healthy life. The athletes drink water to restore the body fluid volume and salt ingredients during the exercise. It is postulated that the blood parameters of athletes would greatly be affected if they run more than 10 km in controlled dehydration (without taking liquid) in a hot environment. This study aims to investigate the acute hematological changes in Saudi male athletes engaged in sports activities in a hot climate without taking fluid. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the participants were adult Saudi athletes (n=12) who ran for a 10 km distance during the daytime when the temperature was ≥35°C. Blood samples were collected before and after the race and analyzed by standard methods for hematocrit, plasma volume, hemoglobin, total white cells count, red cells count, and blood lactate was examined. RESULTS: The mean age of athletes was 22.83 years; their mean height was 173.8 cm, and the mean weight was 56.1 kg. The average body fluid loss during the race was 1.88 ± 0.70 L. The white blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin levels were increased significantly at the end of the running event (p < 0.05). However, values of red blood cells and insulin were decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise, mainly the running race in hot weather conditions, has a significantly increasing impact on athletes' hematological and biochemical parameters. The findings have an important message for the sports trainers and coaches to prepare prospective professional athletes and improve their performance for national and international sports events.

Novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV: prevalence, biological and clinical characteristics comparison with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.

OBJECTIVE: Human infections with zoonotic coronavirus contain emerging and reemerging pathogenic characteristics which have raised great public health concern. This study aimed at investigating the global prevalence, biological and clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus, Wuhan China (2019-nCoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection outbreaks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data on the global outbreak of "2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV" were obtained from World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concerned ministries and research institutes. We also recorded the information from research documents published in global scientific journals indexed in ISI Web of Science and research centers on the prevalence, biological and clinical characteristics of 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. RESULTS: Worldwide, SARS-CoV involved 32 countries, with 8422 confirmed cases and 916 (10.87%) casualties from November 2002 to August 2003. MERS-CoV spread over 27 states, causing 2496 cases and 868 (34.77%) fatalities during the period April 2012 to December 2019. However, the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV spread swiftly the global borders of 27 countries. It infected 34799 people and resulted in 724 (2.08%) casualties during the period December 29, 2019 to February 7, 2020. The fatality rate of coronavirus MERS-CoV was (34.77%) higher than SARS-CoV (10.87%) and 2019-nCoV (2.08%); however, the 2019-nCoV transmitted rapidly in comparison to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. CONCLUSIONS: The novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV has diverse epidemiological and biological characteristics, making it more contagious than SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. It has affected more people in a short time period compared to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, although the fatality rate of MERS-CoV was higher than SARS-CoV and 2019-nCoV. The major clinical manifestations in coronavirus infections 2019-nCoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS CoV are fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, generalized myalgia, malaise, drowsy, diarrhea, confusion, dyspnea, and pneumonia. Global health authorities should take immediate measures to prevent the outbreaks of such emerging and reemerging pathogens across the globe to minimize the disease burden locally and globally.