Immune-related adverse events associated with the use of immunotherapy in patients with B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a neoplasm of immature B-cells that is more prevalent in children. Despite successful remission rates in patients with B-ALL on chemotherapy, the risk of relapse is high. This has paved way for highly active immune and cell therapies to be intensively explored. However, the efficacy and immune-related adverse events (AE) associated with the use of immunotherapies remain elusive. METHODS: This protocol has been prepared in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 guidelines. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Embase electronic databases will be searched to retrieve relevant interventional studies. Two reviewers (BKK and EH) will autonomously search and identify relevant studies using a preset inclusion and exclusion criteria. A predefined data extraction sheet will be used to extract relevant data items. The risk of bias will be assessed by 2 reviewers (BKK and BBN) using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized controlled trials and the Downs and Black Checklist for nonrandomized controlled trials. A third reviewer (TMN) will be consulted for any discrepancies. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation will be used to assess the strengths of evidence by 2 reviewers (BBK and TMN). The I² and Chi-squared statistical tests will be used to investigate statistical heterogeneity across studies. An I² value of > 50% will be considered substantial heterogeneity and a random-effects model will be used. Data analysis will be performed using Review Manager (RevMan V.5.3) statistical software.

Effects of Population Knowledge, Perceptions, Attitudes, and Practices on COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control in NUST.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the education sector of most countries. One of the basic CDC prevention guidelines is the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to protect the health of students and staff members to curve the spread of COVID-19. The current study aimed to examine the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and practices of students at the Namibia University of Technology toward the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire. Data were collected from full-time students who were on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic between 29 January to 14 February 2021. The average knowledge about the modes of transmission, protective measures, and clinical symptoms ranged from 78% to 96%. About 31% of student respondents believed the virus was created in a laboratory, and 47% believed the vaccine has negative side effects and therefore, refused to take it. The three main sources of information about COVID-19 were social media (75%), television (63%), and friends and family (50%). The students had an overall positive attitude towards the implementation of NPIs. However, the importance of vaccine safety must be emphasized. Lockdowns should be lifted gradually to reduce the amount of time students are spending on online content. Reopening of classrooms for face-to-face study will bring unquestionable benefits to students and the wider economy.