ABSTRACT
The challenges in controlling the pandemic have been exacerbated by the disease's morbidity and the emergence of additional COVID-19 variants. The use of emergency vaccines to circumvent these challenges has sparked mixed opinions on their effectiveness. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines on clinical outcomes such as incidence, hospitalization, and ventilation rates in both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials were searched on April 21, 2022, to extract published articles comparing vaccinated COVID-19 patients versus unvaccinated COVID-19 patients and their clinical outcomes. The clinical outcomes studied were incidence rate, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and hospitalization rates. The analysis was performed with Review Manager (RevMan) software. Random-effect models were used to calculate pooled odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). In our meta-analysis, we have identified a total of 250 published findings, encompassing 15 studies that involved a cumulative count of 24,164,227 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Being unvaccinated had a significant association with severe clinical outcomes in patients infected with COVID-19. Unvaccinated individuals were 2.36 times more likely to be infected, with a 95% CI ranging from 1.13 to 4.94 (p = 0.02). Unvaccinated subjects with COVID-19 infection were 6.93 times more likely to be admitted to the ICU than their vaccinated counterparts, with a 95% CI ranging from 3.57 to 13.46 (p < 0.0001). The hospitalization rate was 3.37 higher among the unvaccinated compared to those vaccinated, with a 95% CI ranging from 1.92 to 5.93 (p < 0.0001). In addition, patients with COVID-19 infection who are unvaccinated were 6.44 times more likely to be mechanically ventilated than those vaccinated, with a 95% CI ranging from 3.13 to 13.23 (p < 0.0001). Overall, our study revealed that vaccination against COVID-19 disease is beneficial and effective in mitigating the spread of the infection and associated clinical outcomes. However, more awareness and proper education must be made to increase vaccine acceptance. We, therefore, recommend and urge all stakeholders involved in COVID-19 prevention, management, and control to strengthen awareness and educate the people on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination.
ABSTRACT
The mechanisms of renal pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be related to the disease itself or its treatment. Although kidney disease can be associated with MS, not much has been reported in the literature; hence, our study aimed to describe the prevalence and types of renal diseases and discuss their prognosis in patients with MS. A literature search (2012-2022) was performed using the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles. The databases searched included MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE. Fourteen articles from these databases met the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were as follows: publications with full-text access. Articles published in English. Original articles related to renal diseases in MS. The prevalence of renal diseases in MS from the articles obtained ranged from 0.74% to 2.49%. Interferon beta (IFN-ß)-associated glomerulonephritis was common among the reviewed articles. Significant improvement and resolution of the pathology were observed after the discontinuation of the offending medication. Renal symptoms in 2 out of 4 cases with renal thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) induced by interferon-beta progressed to chronic kidney disease, even after the drug was stopped. Other studied renal pathologies included nephrolithiasis secondary to urinary retention and urinary catheter use in patients with MS.
