Demographic and Viral-Genetic Analyses of COVID-19 Severity in Bahrain Identify Local Risk Factors and a Protective Effect of Polymerase Mutations.

A multitude of demographic, health, and genetic factors are associated with the risk of developing severe COVID-19 following infection by the SARS-CoV-2. There is a need to perform studies across human societies and to investigate the full spectrum of genetic variation of the virus. Using data from 869 COVID-19 patients in Bahrain between March 2020 and March 2021, we analyzed paired viral sequencing and non-genetic host data to understand host and viral determinants of severe COVID-19. We estimated the effects of demographic variables specific to the Bahrain population and found that the impact of health factors are largely consistent with other populations. To extend beyond the common variants of concern in the Spike protein analyzed by previous studies, we used a viral burden approach and detected a protective effect of low-frequency missense viral mutations in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Pol) gene on disease severity. Our results contribute to the survey of severe COVID-19 in diverse populations and highlight the benefits of studying rare viral mutations.

Disordered Eating Attitudes Among University Students in Kuwait: The Role of Gender and Obesity.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to highlight the proportion of disordered eating attitudes among university students in Kuwait by gender and obesity. METHODS: A sample of 530 Kuwaiti university students was selected from four universities in Kuwait (203 men and 327 women). The eating attitudes test-26 was used to determine disordered eating attitudes. RESULTS: The prevalence of disordered eating attitudes was 31.8% and 33.6% among men and women respectively. Obese students of both genders had doubled the risk of disordered eating attitudes compared to nonobese students (odds ratio 1.99 and 1.98, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: About one third of university students in Kuwait had disordered eating attitudes. There is an urgent need to prevent and treat disordered eating attitudes in university students in Kuwait.

Perceived barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait: the role of gender and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait by gender and obesity. METHODS: A sample of 530 students was selected at convenience from four universities in Kuwait (2 public and 2 private). The age of students ranged from 19 to 26 years. A self-reported pretested questionnaire was used to obtain the barriers, which were divided into barriers to healthy eating and barriers to physical activity. Weight and height were based on self-reporting, and the students were grouped into non-obese and obese according to the WHO classification. The response options to barriers were: very important, somewhat important and not important. RESULTS: The main barriers to healthy eating for both genders were: "Do not have skills to plan, shop for, prepare or cook healthy foods" and "Not having time to prepare or eat healthy food". In general, there were no significant differences between men and women in barriers to healthy eating. There were highly significant differences between men and women regarding barriers to physical activity (P values ranged from <0.001 to <0.016). "Not having time to be physically active" and "The climate is not suitable for practising exercise" were the main barriers reported. Obese men were more likely to face barriers to healthy eating than non-obese men. There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese women regarding barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study can be utilized in intervention activities to promote a healthy lifestyle and to combat obesity in Kuwait, and maybe in other Arab countries.

Comparison of pinhole and high-resolution parallel-hole imaging for nodular thyroid disease.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Pinhole has been the main standard collimator to be used for thyroid imaging. There has been a gradually increasing trend to replace pinhole with the use of high-resolution low-energy parallel-hole collimator with zoom in thyroid imaging. The objective of this study is to compare parallel-hole collimator acquisition of thyroid gland with that obtained by pinhole collimator to find the effect on the diagnostic information in nodular thyroid disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 29 patients, 24 women and 5 men, aged 18 to 70 years who were routinely referred for thyroid imaging for the assessment of nodular disease were studied. Each patient was injected with 185 MBq (5 mCi) of Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate intravenously. After 20 minutes, acquisition using pinhole followed by parallel-hole collimators was obtained. For pinhole acquisition, a 3-mm insert was used, and 3 images were obtained in the anterior and anterior oblique projections. For parallel-hole acquisition, anterior view was obtained for 250 K. The collimator was placed as close as possible to the patient. The image quality, number, and definition of nodules were evaluated by 2 independent, qualified nuclear medicine physicians. Differences were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: There were 14 patients who had nodular patterns and 15 had no apparent nodules. There were 40 nodules of different sizes detected by pinhole imaging. Only 10 (25%) of these nodules were observed on parallel-hole images. CONCLUSION: Pinhole imaging must be used for thyroid imaging particularly in patients suspected of having nodular disease.