Promotion of knowledge, attitude, and practice among medical undergraduates regarding infection control measures during COVID-19 pandemic

Background Medical students are exposed to many serious healthcare-associated infections throughout their learning and training time particularly during a pandemic like COVID-19. Therefore, promotion of their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding infection control measures is a mandatory action. Objective This study was executed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical undergraduates toward infection control measures before and after the implementation of practical infection control training for them. Methods A quasi-experimental prospective study was conducted on a simple random sample of medical undergraduates at Al-Qunfudah College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, KSA. A total of 177 medical undergraduates were recruited for this study and completed a predesigned survey on their knowledge regarding infection control measures. Moreover, their practice of infection control measures was evaluated through a checklist before and 6 months after receiving practical infection control training during their academic year 2020–2021. Results A total of 177 and 176 responses were obtained at the pre-test and post-test, respectively. The mean ages of students who participated in pre-training and post-training assessments were (22.50 ± 1.02 and 22.03 ± 1.34), respectively with female sex predominance (62.1 and 61.9%). Mean knowledge and practice scores among them were enhanced from (7.79 ± 2.10 and 4.56 ± 2.58) at their pre-test to (11.06 ± 1.27 and 15.68 ± 1.90) at post-test (P-value 0.001 and <0.001), respectively. After training, almost all of them recommended infection control training for all medical students due to its great value. Conclusion The training course has shown its capability in the promotion of medical undergraduates' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward infection control measures.

Mental Stress, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Interleuken-6 Level among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and its relationship to stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers (HCWs) compared to controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 80 HCWs in Suez Canal University Hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, and 80 controls were analyzed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21) questionnaire was used, and serum IL-6 level was determined in both groups. RESULTS: IL-6 levels were high in 81.2% (65) of HCWs compared to 36% (45) of controls (P < .05). The DASS score was higher in participants with high IL-6 levels (>3 ng/mL) than in those with mild to moderate levels (P < .05). The regression model revealed that the type of work as a healthcare staff, irregular or night shift, and stress were predictors of increased IL-6 levels among the studied sample (P < .05) (odds ratio = 20.30, 2.44, and 2.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: The IL-6 level and DASS score were higher in HCWs compared to those in controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. The type of work as a healthcare staff, stress, and irregular or night shift were predictors of increased IL-6 levels.

Factors Associated with Increased Morbidity and Mortality of Obese and Overweight COVID-19 Patients.

Overweight and obesity are defined as an unnecessary accumulation of fat, which poses a risk to health. It is a well-identified risk factor for increased mortality due to heightened rates of heart disease, certain cancers, musculoskeletal disorders, and bacterial, protozoan and viral infections. The increasing prevalence of obesity is of concern, as conventional pathogenesis may indeed be increased in obese hosts rather than healthy hosts, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is a new disease and we do not have the luxury of cumulative data. Obesity activates the development of gene induced hypoxia and adipogenesis in obese animals. Several factors can influence obesity, for example, stress can increase the body weight by allowing people to consume high amounts of food with a higher propensity to consume palatable food. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of immune-mediated and some inflammatory-mediated diseases, including atherosclerosis and psoriasis, leading to a dampened immune response to infectious agents, leading to weaker post-infection impacts. Moreover, the obese host creates a special microenvironment for disease pathogenesis, marked by persistent low-grade inflammation. Therefore, it is advisable to sustain healthy eating habits by increasing the consumption of various plant-based and low-fat foods to protect our bodies and decrease the risk of infectious diseases, especially COVID-19.