The impact of positive thinking on anxiety level of corona virus/ covid-19 infection during the lockdown among UNRWA staff in Jordan.

The current study aimed to identify the impact of positive thinking on the anxiety of Coronavirus infection through the lockdown among UNRWA staff in Jordan. To achieve the objectives of the study, three measures were developed, the Positive Thinking Scale, the anxiety level of Coronavirus Infection Scale, and the lockdown Scale. A sample of (2036) employees responded to the measures. The results showed that the level of anxiety for COVID -19 infection among the sample was high, and statistically significant differences were found in the level of Covid-19 infection anxiety according to the sex variable for females, also statistically differences were found in the level of anxiety in COVID-19 infection according to age in favor of (31-40), and statistically differences for the social status in favor of married couples. Results also showed a direct negative impact of positive thinking variable on the level of anxiety associated with COVID-19 infection, and an effect of positive thinking on the level of anxiety during activating the lockdown. The study recommends designing training programs for employees to help them adapt to different circumstances and enable them to continue performing their assigned work. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of An-Najah University Journal for Research, B: Humanities is the property of An-Najah National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Current and future trends in multiple sclerosis management: Near East perspective.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence is rising in the Middle East. Most MS medications are available in the region, but not all, possibly affecting neurologists' prescribing habits. OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the current practices of Near East (NE) healthcare practitioners by probing their prescribing decisions, to report the COVID-19 impacts on neurologists' prescribing habits, and to explore the future relevance of current medication used in MS management among other newcomers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online survey from April 27, 2022, to July 5, 2022. The questionnaire was designed with the input of five neurologists representing five NE countries (Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan & Palestine). They identified several factors that play a crucial role in the optimal care of MS patients. The link was shared among neurologists using snowball sampling. RESULTS: The survey included 98 neurologists. Effectiveness and safety balance was the most important factor considered when selecting the MS treatment. Among patients with MS, the most challenging factor for the patients was thought to be related to family planning, followed by affordability and tolerability of side effects. In the treatment of mild to moderate relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in men, Interferon beta 1a SC, Fingolimod, and Glatiramer acetate were the most commonly recommended treatments. Dimethyl fumarate substituted fingolimod in female patients. Interferon beta 1a SC was the safest treatment for mild to moderate RRMS. Interferon beta 1a SC was preferred over other treatments for patients with mild to moderate MS and planning for pregnancy (56.6%) or breastfeeding (60.2%). Fingolimod was not a choice for these patients. Neurologists seemed to discuss the top three treatments of Natalizumab, Ocrelizumab, and Cladribine with patients with highly active MS. When asked to position future disease-modifying therapies five years from today, more than 45% of physicians expressed a lack of information on Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Most neurologists in the NE region followed Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (MENACTRIMS) recommendations for prescribing treatment. The treatment choice also depended on the availability of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in the region. Regarding the use of upcoming DMTs, there is a clear need for real-world data, long-term extension studies, and comparative studies to support their efficacy and safety profiles in treating patients with MS.

An effect of temperature on the spread of COVID-19 in Qatar, Kuwait and other gulf countries. (Special issue on COVID.)

Background: COVID-19 has emerged as a serious pandemic that emerged during since the end of 2019. The dissemination and survival of coronaviruses have been demonstrated to be affected by ambient temperature in epidemiological and laboratory research. The goal of this investigation was to see if temperature plays a role in the infection produced by this novel coronavirus. Methods: Between March 29, 2020, and September 29, 2020, daily confirmed cases and meteoro-logical parameters in many Gulf countries were collected. Using a generalized additive model, we investigated the nonlinear relationship between mean temperature and COVID-19 confirmed cases.. To further investigate the association, we employed a piecewise linear regression. Results: According to the exposure-response curves, the association between mean temperature and COVID-19 cases was nearly linear in the window of 21 - 30C while it is almost flat beyond that window. When the number was below 21C (lag 0-14), each 1C increase was associated with a 4.861 percent (95 percent CI: 3.209 - 6.513) increase in mean temperature (lag 0-14). Our sensitiv-ity analysis confirmed these conclusions. Conclusions: Our findings show a positive linear association between mean temperature and the number of COVID-19 cases with a threshold of 21C. There is little evidence that COVID-19 case numbers would rise as the weather becomes colder, which has important consequences for making health strategy and decision.

Enhancing vaccination of key populations: lessons and actions

Vaccination is effective in preventing the increase of disease, especially emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), and it is particularly important for people in close contact with infected sources and susceptible populations who are at increased risk of getting infectious diseases due to behavior, occupation or health. Despite targeted vaccination guidelines, inadequate vaccination of the key populations fails to receive widespread attention, resulting in a high-risk transition of disease from key populations to general populations. Strengthening the vaccination of the susceptible groups can effectively block the spread of pathogens to general populations, and reduce the consumption of medical resources in universal vaccination, which has significant economic value. In this review, we describe the prevalence of EIDs, analyze the experience and lessons of infectious disease vaccination in key populations through several cases, and further explore the causes for the decline in vaccination rates of key populations. According to the trends of EIDs, a plan to strengthen the vaccination of key populations is proposed to effectively prevent the transition of EIDs from key populations to general populations.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on household food waste behaviour in Iran.

This research aims to determine the influence of COVID-19 on consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to food waste in Iran. From April 24 to May 24, 2020, an online survey was conducted in Iran with a standard questionnaire delivered in Persian. Descriptive statistics and various non-parametric tests were used to analyse the survey results. The results reveal significant changes in how consumers shop and interact with food, with implications on household food wastage. Indeed, according to the survey findings: (i) Iran's households have a positive attitude toward reducing food waste; (ii) food waste dropped during the pandemic; (iii) consumers made fewer shopping trips and spent less on groceries during the pandemic; (iv) food waste did not increase during the month of Ramadan. The survey results provide valuable insights to reduce food wastage and address food security risks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. The paper results contribute to a better understanding of food waste management behaviours and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, which is paramount to designing effective, efficient, and sustainable recovery plans and policies.

Food shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory study in four Near Eastern countries

Purpose: During a pandemic, risk and uncertainty are the most important factors affecting consumer behavior. Near Eastern marketplaces are undergoing dramatic change during the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result, this paper aims to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on food shopping habits in four countries of the Near East sub-region, namely, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Oman and Qatar. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on an online survey conducted on 1,456 subjects using a snowball sampling technique. The questionnaire consisted of 24 different questions (multiple-choice, one option) regarding the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on food habits such as food shopping, preparation, eating and food waste. Findings: The findings show that consumers’ shopping habits and food sourcing in the region changed due to the risk and uncertainty connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, respondents decreased their shopping frequency and, as a result, increased the amount of food purchased each trip. Secondly, because of food safety concerns, respondents boosted their purchases of local products. Thirdly, the data revealed an increase in online food shopping, mainly in high-income countries, namely, Qatar and Oman. Fourthly, the findings revealed significant disparities in food stockpiling behavior across the countries investigated. Research limitations/implications: The major limitation of this study is the survey bias. The survey respondents were randomly hired. The questionnaire was completed by volunteers who were not rewarded. Only those motivated by a personal interest in the topic took part in the study. The sample had a high number of educated individuals, which does not represent the overall populations of the studied countries. In this case, generalizing the findings is inaccurate. A segment of the population with lower accessibility, such as individuals who are not web-literate, as well as the elderly, poor households and informal workers, especially in the Near East and North African (NENA) region, is often underrepresented in online surveys. Practical implications: The findings provide insight into how consumers’ food shopping habits have changed due to the pandemic. This and other research will help governments and other organizations better prepare for future disasters and pandemics. The study’s results will also be useful in formulating evidence-based policies for the four countries studied and the NENA area as a whole throughout the post-pandemic recovery phase. The findings, for example, emphasized the necessity of encouraging online shopping by upgrading information and communication technology infrastructure and internet speed, particularly in middle-income and developing countries like Lebanon. Furthermore, in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, the findings provide insights to international organizations (both humanitarian and development ones) to pay more attention to issues of food and nutrition security to avoid the financial and political crises combined with the COVID-19 health crisis, become a humanitarian crisis for locals as well as the hundreds of thousands of refugees (primarily Syrians in Lebanon). Finally, the pandemic’s long-term impact on food activities and food security must be mitigated by including agricultural and food systems in recovery efforts. Several issues are posing a threat to food systems. Addressing them successfully involves developing cross-disciplinary research that innovates at their intersections to provide different solutions that address the social, economic, technological and policy components of these issues. Originality/value: The paper’s findings indicate that the pandemic’s consequences will most certainly differ from country to country, based not just on the epidemiologic condition but also, inter alia, on the level of pre-COVID socioeconomic development. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Attitudes and approaches towards COVID-19 management among the public and pharmacists in Northern Cyprus

Purpose: To study the attitudes and approaches towards COVID-19 management among the public and pharmacists in Northern Cyprus. Method: Questionnaire were administered face-to-face and online to volunteer pharmacists and other members of the public, after receiving approval from the Near East University Ethics Boards. Responses to the questionnaire were evaluated statistically.

Editors' Note

This is the first of three special, guest-edited issues of ISR that will precede the retirement of the current editors from the journal. This issue, co-edited by Nir Gazit and Yagil Levy, takes on the unusual and seemingly somewhat arcane subject of military policing in Israel—that is, in the West Bank and on the Gaza border. The subject seemed somewhat arcane when we started planning it early in 2019, but now, as this issue reaches publication, we find that military policing is closely related to current events around the world, especially in the US, sometimes even competing with the coronavirus pandemic for the headlines. See the guest editors’ introduction immediately following this note for a fuller exposition before delving into the articles that follow.

The determinants of walking behavior before and during COVID-19 in Middle-East and North Africa: evidence from Tabriz, Iran

To support the global strategy to raise public health through walking among adults, we added the evidence on predictors of walking behavior in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by emphasizing the mediator-COVID-19. During the COVID-19 outbreak, public restrictions to encompass the spread of the disease have disrupted normal daily lifestyles, including physical activity and sedentary behavior. It was proposed that tremendous changes have occurred on predictors of physical activity in general and walking behavior in particular for three types of walking, including commute, non-commute, and social walking compared to pre-COVID-19 time. This study aimed to identify the determinants of the walking types mentioned above, including subjective and objective variables before COVID-19, and compare them during the COVID-19 period in a sample from Iran, which has not yet been addressed in previous research. Adults (N = 603) finalized an online survey between June 5 and July 15, 2021. This group reported their individual/socioeconomic locations (e.g., home/work) and perception features before and during COVID-19. The paper developed six Binary Logistic (BL) regression models, with two models for each walking type (commute, non-commute, and social walking). For commute trips before COVID-19, the findings showed that factors including BMI, residential duration, p. (perceived) neighborhood type, p. distance to public transport stations and job/university places, p. sidewalks quality, p. facilities attractiveness, p. existence of shortcut routes, commute distance, building density and distance to public transport were correlated with commute walking. At the same time, such associations were not observed for BMI, p. distance to public transport and job/university places, p. facilities attractiveness, building density, and distance to public transport during COVID-19. The variables include age, possession of a driving license, number of family members, p. neighborhood type, p. distance to grocery, restaurant, parking, and mall, p. existence of sidewalks, land-use mix, and distance to public transport indicated correlations with non-commute before COVID-19. However, p. distance to groceries and malls and the p. existence of sidewalks did not correlate with non-commute walking during COVID-19. Ultimately for social walking, age and income variables, and the considerable proportions of subjective variables (e.g., p. distance to services/land-uses, security, etc.), health status and building density were correlated with social walking before COVID-19. Nevertheless, most of the mentioned variables did not explicitly correlate with social walking during COVID-19. As for the implication of our study, apparently, special actions will be needed by urban authorities to encourage adults to enhance their walkability levels by fully considering both objective and subjective indicators and walking types, which will result in healthier lifestyles.

Agri-food trade in 2020

The year 2020 marked one of the biggest recessions in global economic activity and world trade. During this period, the EU economy contracted by 6% and its international trade followed a similar downward trend - EU exports of goods decreased by 9% and imports by 12%, compared to 2019. By contrast, EU international trade in agri-food reported a slight growth. Over the course of 2020, the value of EU agri-food exports increased to 184.3 billion (a growth of 1.4% compared to 2019), while the value of imports rose to 122.2 billion (a growth of 0.5%). As a result, the EU further reinforced its leading position among the world's biggest exporters. On the import side, the EU has become the third largest importer after the US and China. The contraction in global trade was accompanied by increasing prices of food, including commodities as evidenced by the increases reflected in the FAO Global Price Index. The EU exports a wide range of products from all parts of the value chain which demonstrates the competitiveness of the EU agri-food sector in a variety of product classes ranging from commodities to highly processed food industry products. EU imports, on the other hand, are clearly dominated by basic agricultural food and feed products, which represent about 75% of all imports. Looking at product categories, exports of pig meat and wheat strongly contributed to the increase in EU overall agri-food exports. Conversely, spirits and liqueurs as well as wine are among the sectors that experienced a difficult period for a number of reasons (e.g. the COVID pandemic, US retaliatory tariffs). The growth in EU agri-food imports was mainly driven by increases in import values for oilseeds, other than soya beans;fatty acids and waxes, palm oil, fruit including tropical fruit, and soya beans. China, Switzerland and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region were the major growth destinations for EU agri-food exports in 2020. The value of EU exports fell most to the United States, Turkey, Singapore and Japan. In terms of imports, Canada grew significantly as a source for the EU imports. By contrast, EU imports declined most in value from the United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States. In 2020, the UK has become the EU's most important partner in agri-food trade, with a share of 23% in total EU agri-food exports and 13% in total imports. With EU exports and imports both decreasing, its trade surplus with the US increased by 2% when compared to 2019, as falls on the imports side were stronger. China became the top destination for US agri-food exports. EU agri-food exports to China were primarily driven by continued record high sales of pig meat which increased by 74%. Pig meat and meat offal - the latter mainly comprised of products originating from pigs - accounted for over 40% of EU exports to China in 2020, demonstrating the importance of this market for the pig meat sector. Brazil's exports to China continued to increase in 2020, absorbing 35% of its total agri-food exports. Combined agri-food exports from Brazil to the EU and the US now account for half of Brazilian exports to China. In 2020, Brazil supplied 50% of extra-EU demand for soya beans and 40% for oilcakes. Wheat continued to be the leading EU export product to Africa with a 23% share of the EU's total export basket, whereas cocoa beans dominate in the EU imports from Africa, with the same share of 23%. Most African countries benefit from duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market under the "Everything But Arms" scheme and for many of them Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) or other trade agreements with the EU are applied, encouraging regional cooperation and trade. In 2020, the EU applied 45 free trade agreements (FTAs) with 77 partners. The share of agri-food trade under preferential agreements is also expanding and in 2021, it accounted for 31% and 41% of total EU agri-food exports and imports, respectively. The value of EU agri-food trade under preferential agreements expanded more in relative terms compared to total EU agri-food trade. EU agri-food ex

Analysis of socioeconomic resources, infected and death cases of BRICS nations and its effect on the stock market indices: post COVID-19

The novel coronavirus is respiratory infections affected as cold and fever. The World Health Organization denoted as "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19). China was the first country invented in December 2019. This disease affects the health of humans but also influencing financial markets harshly affected across the globe. In April 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected the severity of Covid-19 crossways the world affected by 3% this was higher than the 2008-09 financial crises. The Middle East and Central Asia region expressed that the growth of an economy decreased from 1.2% to 2.8% during 2019-20. In the same way, the oil import and export countries were affected by 4.2% and 0.7% correspondingly (IMF, 2020). The stock market is one of the barometers exposed to the economic status of the country. Due to Covid-19, the economic and social impact on BRICS countries were rigorously affected the manufacturing, services, education, health, hotels, real estate, hospitality tours and travel, media, IT, retails, and banking sector (M. Chaudhary, P.R. Sodani, S. Das, 2020). Last year, the worldwide stock markets crashed due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. This study mainly focuses on investigating the impact of socioeconomic resources during COVID-19 on BRICS Nations;to analyze the performance of stock indices and its relation with the Covid-19 infected and death cases of BRICS nations. This study is empirical from official stock exchanges of respective countries in the pandemic situation on the stock market from January 2020-August 2021. The Covid-19 number of cases and their deaths are from the official website of the World Health Organization, Dashboard. Finally, to find out the relationship between the numbers of infected and deaths influencing the stock markets in BRICS Nations. This study finds the present situation based on that will further decisions for diversification of funds for getting benefits in the future especially post BRICS formation.

Impact of COVID-19 on livestock exports from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Somalia has a significant place in the livestock sector in the Horn of Africa;livestock trade and export is one of the key economic contributors. Most of the livestock trade happens with the Middle East, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being one of its biggest importers. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to both massive loss of life and huge economic losses as the result of measures to contain the virus. In June 2020, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took the decision to restrict the number of pilgrims for the annual Hajj. Impacts resulted in a decline in income from the seasonal Hajj of 80 per cent, though domestically prices of livestock remained stable and local markets were used for livestock sales. This paper, besides highlighting the effects, provides recommendations which could inform strategic planning, humanitarian aid, and resilience building for the livestock value chain in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

Special Issue: Sustainabilty and consumer behavior. (Special Issue: Sustainabilty and consumer behavior.)

Environmentally-sustainable consumer behavior is an important aspect of environmental protection, which eventually benefits the society. In order to better understand environmentally-sustainable consumption and promote environmentally responsible consumer behavior, this research provides a sound conceptualization of environmentally-sustainable consumer behavior, and presents a systematic review and perspective on theories established in tourism and environmental psychology. Further, this special issue contains 9 articles that discuss: the customer equity paradigm to propose a green induced tourist equity model in the tourism context;the effects of hotel's sustainability practices in three areas of sustainability and familiarity with those practices on hotel guest satisfaction and loyalty in the Kazakhstan hotel industry;the anchoring effect on travelers who may need to pay aviation green tax;the concept of internal environmental locus of control (INELOC) to the context of eco-friendly drone food delivery services;the impact of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus on inbound tourism in South Korea toward sustainable tourism;exploring preferences and sustainable attitudes of Airbnb green users in the review comments and ratings;understanding hotel corporate social responsibility performance scale;comparing resident and tourist perceptions of an urban park;and the contribution of backpacker tourism to sustainable consumption.

Maintaining Hope till Mission Accomplished

In this issue of Palestine-Israel Journal (PIJ), Looking Back, Thinking Ahead, we are marking our 25th anniversary. It is true that we are now 28 years old, since we started in 1994, but due to the Covid-19 and all related restrictions and financial difficulties we are late, but late is better than never.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Middle East: data, facts and doubts

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. A pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the WHO Country Office in China on 31 December 2019. The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020. On 11 February 2020, WHO announced a name for the new coronavirus disease: COVID-19. The Middle East is one of the areas where the virus has become widespread and has caused many deaths. The severity of the COVID-19 disease varies from country to country, with the highest rates of infection in Iran, Turkey and Egypt. Compared to other countries involved, Iran has the most recovery, too. It is worth noting that these countries have been the target of unfair US sanctions for many years, and the import of drugs and medical equipment is associated with many problems. By maintaining personal hygiene and keeping a distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, also stopping the civil and foreign wars, lifting the sanctions and paying special attention to the health of all people, especially the weak and sensitive, there is hope that the disease may be defeated.

Forecasting epidemic spread of SARS-CoV-2 using ARIMA model (case study: Iran). (Special Issue: Covid-19.)

Currently, the pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is one of the most serious issues worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 was first observed in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019;this disease has been rapidly spreading worldwide. Iran was the first Middle East country to report a coronavirus death, it has been severely affected. Therefore, it is crucial to forecast the pandemic spread in Iran. This study aims to develop a prediction model for the daily total confirmed cases, total confirmed new cases, total deaths, total new deaths, growth rate in confirmed cases, and growth rate in deaths. The model utilizes SARS-CoV-2 daily data, which are mainly collected from the official website of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control from February 20 to May 04, 2020 and other appropriated references. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) is employed to forecast the trend of the pandemic spread. The ARIMA model predicts that Iran can easily exhibit an increase in the daily total confirmed cases and the total deaths, while the daily total confirmed new cases, total new deaths, and growth rate in confirmed cases/deaths becomes stable in the near future. This study predicts that Iran can control the SARS-CoV-2 disease in the near future. The ARIMA model can rapidly aid in forecasting patients and rendering a better preparedness plan in Iran.

Coronavirus, its neurologic manifestations, and complications

Context: We are going to face an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus in our country. The main manifestation of this viral infection is respiratory and cardiovascular;however, up-to-date knowledge of its probable neurologic complications is highly needed. Evidence Acquisition: To provide up-to-date information on neurologic manifestation on coronaviruses, we concisely reviewed the neurologic manifestations and their complications. Using the keywords, coronavirus, corona, human coronaviruses (HCoVs), SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related (MERS), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), manifestations, complications, and neurologic, all the relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, reviewed, and critically analyzed.

Coronavirus: a threat to global public health

Previously considered of meagre significance to the human race, coronaviruses have effectively evolved to jump the species barrier and cause widespread contagion in mankind. The SARS pandemic, the MERS situation in the middle - east and the ongoing COVID 201 9 epidemic are all attributed to this evolving virus. COVID 2019 is the seventh coronavirus isolated successfully and the third beta-coronavirus that causes a fatal illness in humans;the other two beta-coronaviruses being severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) CoV. Having a natural reservoir in bats these viruses infect humans through an intermediate host and then rapidly adapt and mutate for human to human transmissions. Four other known alpha coronaviruses cause only common cold in humans. Although mortality rate of COVID 2019 epidemic is lower at 2.5% than the previous two CoV outbreaks, that is, 9.6% in SARS and 34.4% in MERS, but rapid transmissibility points towards a sustained epidemic of epic proportions. In the absence of any specific treatment protocols and experimental vaccines still under research, management largely depends upon symptomatic therapy, strict infection control and quarantine measures. Restriction of human interactions with known animal sources of the virus as a measure of prevention is essentially required. Owing to huge genetic diversity and frequent genomic recombination, novel coronaviruses might emerge periodically, warranting the need for extensive research and development of effective treatments and vaccines.

Iran as the center of challenges in the middle east for the outbreak of COVID-19 delta variant

Context: During the past three decades, the Middle East has experienced three major viral epidemics. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pulmonary disease which has been first reported in China in the early third decade of the 21st century and quickly infected people in Asia, the Middle East, and the entire world. This pandemic is life-threatening and has caused widespread financial losses;however, the exact extent of the damage is still unclear. Evidence Acquisition: This review study aimed to present the latest on the COVID-19 symptoms, pathogenicity, host immune responses, etiology and epidemiology, transmission routes in the Middle Eastern countries, especially Iran, and the role this country plays in the spread of the disease. The search was conducted using Google scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science to identify relevant studies published from 2019 to 2021.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in August 2021

In August 2021, a total of 69 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 225 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (225), dengue fever (27), measles (21), chikungunya fever (10) and cholera (8). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Marburg virus disease (100.0%), Middle East respiratory syndrome (34.4%), plague (23.3%), Lassa fever (20.5%) and yellow fever (16.7%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, measles, cholera and dengue fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19 and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, cholera, plague, yellow fever, Lassa fever, poliomyelitis, malaria and measles, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19 and West Nile fever.