Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health

Volume 11, Issue 2, June 2021
Editorial

1. Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 in a Multi-National Cohort in the Middle East

Saad I. Mallah, Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, Abdulla I. Alawadhi, Manaf M. AlQahtani
Pages: 137 - 139
Perspective

2. The Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Vision: Leading the Kingdom’s Journey toward Global Leadership

Ziad A. Memish, Majid M. Altuwaijri, Abdulgader H. Almoeen, Sarah M. Enani
Pages: 140 - 142
The emerging field of data and artificial intelligence (AI) and its noticeable expansion has motivated nations to transition from traditional economic models to learning economies using these technologies. In April 2016, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud introduced Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030...
Perspective

3. Role of Ascertainment Bias in Determining Case Fatality Rate of COVID-19

Maia P. Smith
Pages: 143 - 145
Case fatality rate (CFR) is used to calculate mortality burden of COVID-19 under different scenarios, thus informing risk-benefit balance of interventions both pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical. However, observed CFR is driven by testing: as more low-risk cases are identified, observed CFR will decline....
Perspective

4. COVID-19: Nothing is Normal in this Pandemic

Luzia Gonçalves, Maria Antónia Amaral Turkman, Carlos Geraldes, Tiago A. Marques, Lisete Sousa
Pages: 146 - 149
This manuscript brings attention to inaccurate epidemiological concepts that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In social media and scientific journals, some wrong references were given to a “normal epidemic curve” and also to a “log-normal curve/distribution”. For many years, textbooks and courses...
Perspective

5. COVID-19 Pandemic: Need of the Hour – A Course Correction, Restructuring & Review of our Policies – An Indian Perspective

K. Vishak Acharya, Bhaskaran Unnikrishnan, Priya Rathi, A Shreenivasa
Pages: 150 - 154
The world stunned by a pandemic of such cataclysmic scale is reeling under the joint burden of health impact unleashed by the diseases and the strain on the economy. Glaring shortfalls and inconsistencies in strategies to combat the pandemic have surfaced worldwide irrespective of the country’s economic...
Perspective

6. The Recombination Potential between SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV from Cross-Species Spill-over Infections

Abdulrahim A. Sajini, Almohanad A. Alkayyal, Fathi A. Mubaraki
Pages: 155 - 159
Countries in the Middle-East (ME) are tackling two corona virus outbreaks simultaneously, Middle-Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and the current Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Both viruses infect the same host (humans) and the same cell (type-II alveolar...
Review Article

8. Preventive Measures and Management of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Adult Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia

Najla A. Obaid
Pages: 164 - 168
Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) has been studied worldwide as part of device-related healthcare infection. CAUTI is one of the most commonly reported infections in the literature, which occurs during clinical practice in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and non-ICU departments. Many studies...
Review Article

9. Epidemiology and the Magnitude of Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Udaya Ralapanawa, Ramiah Sivakanesan
Pages: 169 - 177
Background: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the foremost single cause of mortality and loss of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) globally. A large percentage of this burden is found in low and middle income countries. This accounts for nearly 7 million deaths and 129 million DALYs annually and...
Research Article

10. Impact of Population Emigration from Wuhan and Medical Support on COVID-19 Infection in China

Yang Yao, Yao Tian, Jing Zhou, Xin Diao, Ligai Di, Shengyu Wang
Pages: 178 - 185
Background: The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection broken out in Wuhan. We aimed to analyse the impact of medical support and population emigration from Wuhan on the cure rate and mortality of COVID-19 infection in China and to provide early warning on the developmental trend of the...
Research Article

11. Assessment of Knowledge, Perceptions and Perceived Risk Concerning COVID-19 in Pakistan

Ayesha Haque, Sadaf Mumtaz, Rafia Mumtaz, Farheen Masood, Hudebia Allah Buksh, Amal Ahmed, Osama Khattak
Pages: 186 - 193
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of unmatched scale and severity. A continued state of crisis has been met with poor public adherence to preventive measures and difficulty implementing public health policy. This study aims to identify and evaluate the factors underlying such a response. Thus, it assesses...
Research Article

12. Population Size Estimation of Female Sex Workers in Hai Phong, Vietnam: Use of Three Source Capture–Recapture Method

Ly Thuy Nguyen, Shreya Patel, Nga Thi Nguyen, Hoa Hoang Gia, Henry F. Raymond, Van Thi Hai Hoang, Abu S. Abdul-Quader
Pages: 194 - 199
Introduction: A study was conducted in three districts in Hai Phong province, Vietnam to estimate the population size of the Female Sex Workers (FSW) in June–July 2019. Methods: The procedures included selection of three districts, compilation of a list of accessible venues where FSW congregate, distribution...
Research Article

13. Comparison of Predictive Models and Impact Assessment of Lockdown for COVID-19 over the United States

Olusola S. Makinde, Abiodun M. Adeola, Gbenga J. Abiodun, Olubukola O. Olusola-Makinde, Aceves Alejandro
Pages: 200 - 207
The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a worldwide threat to community health, social stability, and economic development. Since the first case was recorded on December 29, 2019, in Wuhan of China, the disease has rapidly extended to other nations of the world to claim many lives, especially...
Research Article

14. Molecular Detection of Influenza A and B Viruses in Four Consecutive Influenza Seasons 2015–16 to 2018–19 in a Tertiary Center in Western Saudi Arabia

Abdulhakeem Althaqafi, Fayssal Farahat, Asim Alsaedi, Majid Alshamrani, Moneerah S. Alsaeed, Baraa AlhajHussein, Sherif A. El-Kafrawy, Esam I. Azhar
Pages: 208 - 215
Introduction: Influenza infection poses a significant public health threat. The core for disease prevention and control relies on strengthened surveillance activities, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the country that hosts the largest annual mass gathering event worldwide. This study aimed to assess the...
Research Article

15. The Role of Convalescent Plasma and Tocilizumab in the Management of COVID-19 Infection: A Cohort of 110 Patients from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

Faryal Khamis, Ziad Memish, Maher Al Bahrani, Hamed Al Nummani, Dana Al Raisi, Samata Al Dowaiki, Shabnam Chhetri, Fatma Al Fahdi, Maha Al Yahyai, Nenad Pandak, Zakariya Al Bolushi, Zainab Alarimi, Sabria Al Hashmi, Issa Al Salmi, Ibrahim Al-Zakwani
Pages: 216 - 223
Aim: As Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve, the search for safe and effective therapeutic interventions remain essential. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients hospitalized with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2...
Research Article

16. Community Foodborne of Salmonella Weltevreden Outbreak at Northern Governorate, Sultanate of Oman

Ali A. Al-Maqbali, Seif S. Al-Abri, V. Vidyanand, Idris Al-Abaidani, Amal S. Al-Balushi, Shyam Bawikar, Emadeldin El Amir, Saleh Al-Azri, Rajesh Kumar, Azza Al-Rashdi, Amina K. Al-Jardani
Pages: 224 - 229
Objectives: To investigate the course of a community gastroenteritis outbreak by Salmonella and implement interventional activities and roles to prevent occurring such an outbreak in the future. Methods: From August 27 to 2 September 2015, 101 individuals were reported among a local community. All affected...
Research Article

17. COVID-19 and Comorbidities: Audit of 2,000 COVID-19 Deaths in India

Shaffi F. Koya, Shahul H. Ebrahim, Lekha D. Bhat, Bindhya Vijayan, Salman Khan, Soji D. Jose, Zarin Pilakkadavath, Premini Rajeev, Jinbert L. Azariah
Pages: 230 - 232
Background: On September 5, 2020, India reported the second highest COVID-19 cases globally. Given India’s unique disease burden including both infectious and chronic diseases, there is a need to study the survival patterns of COVID-19. We aimed to describe the factors associated with COVID-19 deaths...
Research Article

18. A Case Series of Severe Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Treated with Tocilizumab and Glucocorticoids: A Report from Saudi Arabian Hospital

Salma AlBahrani, Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq, Abdulaziz R. Alshaer, Amal Shilash, Khalid Alswefy, Razan Salamah Al-Zayer, Amr Mohamed Abouelela
Pages: 233 - 237
Background: The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 is variable and ranges from asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, moderately severe and severe disease. A small proportion might develop severe disease and may have cytokine storm. One of the therapeutic options to treat such cases is Tocilizumab (TCZ). In this...
Research Article

19. Retrospective Study of Bone-TB in Oman: 2002–2019

Wael A.H. Hegazy, Raqiya Al Mamari, Khalfan Almazroui, Ali Al Habsi, Ahmed Kamona, Huda AlHarthi, Areej I. Al Lawati, AlZahra H. AlHusaini
Pages: 238 - 245
Objective: Little information is available about the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, and epidemiologic features of Bone Tuberculosis (Bone-TB). In this work, we present the epidemiological data about the Bone-TB in the Sultanate of Oman. Methods: Retrospectively, we identified and assessed...
Research Article

20. Policy Disparities in Response to COVID-19 between China and South Korea

Haiqian Chen, Leiyu Shi, Yuyao Zhang, Xiaohan Wang, Gang Sun
Pages: 246 - 252
Objectives: This study analyzed the effects of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical measures between China and South Korea to share experiences with other countries in the struggle against SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We used the generalized linear model to examine the associations between non-pharmaceutical measures...