scholarly journals Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the West Bank region of Palestine: a cross-sectional seroepidemiological study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e044552
Author(s):  
Nouar Qutob ◽  
Faisal Awartani ◽  
Zaidoun Salah ◽  
Mohammad Asia ◽  
Imad Abu Khader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Bank ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Seroprevalence Rate ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
The West ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Medical Laboratories

ObjectivesSeroprevalence rates are important indicators to the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the extent of the pandemic given the existence of asymptomatic cases. The purpose of this study is to assess the seroprevalence rate in the Palestinian population residing in the West Bank.SettingThe study involved 1355 participants from 11 governorates, including 112 localities in the West Bank and 1136 individuals visiting Palestinian medical laboratories.ParticipantsBlood samples were collected between 15th June 2020 and 30th June 2020 from 1355 individuals from randomly selected households in the West Bank, in addition to 1136 individuals visiting Palestinian medical laboratories between the 1st May 2020 and 9th July 2020 for a routine check-up.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOut of the 2491 blood samples collected, serological tests for 2455 adequate serum samples were done using an immunoassay for qualitative detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Seroprevalence was estimated as the proportion of individuals who had a positive result in the total SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the immunoassay.ResultsThe random sample of Palestinians living in the West Bank yielded 0% seroprevalence with 95% and an adjusted CI (0% to 0.0043%), while the lab referral samples yielded an estimated seroprevalence of 0.354% with 95% and an adjusted CI (0.001325% to 0.011566%).ConclusionsOur results indicate that as of mid-June 2020, seroprevalence in Palestine persists low and is inadequate to provide herd immunity, emphasising the need to maintain health measures to keep the outbreak under control. Population-based seroprevalence studies are to be conducted periodically to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Palestine and inform policymakers about the efficacy of their surveillance system.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Palestine: a cross-sectional seroepidemiological study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nouar Qutob ◽  
Faisal Awartani ◽  
Zaidoun Salah ◽  
Mohammad Asia ◽  
Imad Abu Khader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Bank ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Seroprevalence Rate ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
The West ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Palestinian Population

Seroprevalence rates are important indicators to the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the extent of the pandemic given the existence of asymptomatic cases. The purpose of this study is to assess the seroprevalence rate in the Palestinian population residing in the West Bank. Blood samples were collected between 15th June 2020 and 30th June 2020 from 1355 individuals from randomly selected households in the West Bank in addition to 1136 individuals visiting Palestinian medical laboratories between the 1st May 2020 and 9th July 2020 for a routine checkup. Out of the 2491 blood samples collected, serological tests for 2455 adequate serum samples were done using an Immunoassay for qualitative detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 .The random sample of Palestinians living in the West Bank yielded 0% seroprevalence with 95% CI [0,0.0036], while the lab referrals sample yielded an estimated seroprevalence of 0.354% with 95% CI [0.0011,0096]. Our results indicate that as of July 2020, seroprevalence in Palestine persist low and is inadequate to provide herd immunity, emphasizing the need to maintain health measures to keep the outbreak under control. Population-based seroprevalence studies are to be conducted periodically to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Palestine and inform policy makers about the efficacy of their surveillance system.

scholarly journals Nationwide seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic population in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e049837
Author(s):  
Eun-Hee Nah ◽  
Seon Cho ◽  
Hyeran Park ◽  
Inhwan Hwang ◽  
Han-Ik Cho
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional

ObjectiveAsymptomatic active infection might be an important contributor to the COVID-19 outbreak. Serological tests can assess the extent of exposure and herd immunity to COVID-19 in general populations. This study aimed to estimate the nationwide seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies according to age, sex and clinical status in South Korea.Design, setting and participantsThis cross-sectional study randomly selected health examinees who underwent health check-up at 16 health promotion centres in 13 Korean cities across the country between late September and early December 2020. Residual serum samples were obtained from 4085 subjects (2014 men and 2071 women). Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay using Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Roche Elecsys, Mannheim, Germany).Primary and secondary outcome measuresFisher’s exact test was used to compare the seroprevalence according to sex, age group and region. The relative risks of being seropositive according to the characteristics of the study subjects were analysed using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe overall seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 was 0.39% (95% CI=0.20% to 0.58%): 0.30% (95% CI=0.06% to 0.54%) for men and 0.48% (95% CI=0.18% to 0.78%) for women. The rate of anti-SARS-CoV-2 positivity varied significantly between different regions of Korea (p=0.003), but not with age group, sex, or the statuses of obesity, diabetes, hypertension or smoking.ConclusionsMost of the Korean population is still immunologically vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2, but the seroprevalence has increased relative to that found in studies performed prior to September 2020 in Korea.

Prospection of immunological biomarkers for characterization and monitoring of asymptomatic Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum infection

Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (10) ◽  
pp. 1124-1132
Author(s):  
Gisele Macêdo Rodrigues da Cunha ◽  
Mariângela Carneiro ◽  
Marcelo Antônio Pascoal-Xavier ◽  
Iara Caixeta Marques da Rocha ◽  
Fernanda do Carmo Magalhães ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leishmania Infantum ◽  
Regression Tree ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Classification And Regression Tree ◽  
Soluble Antigen ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Asymptomatic Group ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractIn areas endemic for Leishmania infantum, an asymptomatic infection may be an indicator of the extent of transmission. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the applicability of measuring circulating immunological biomarkers as an alternative strategy to characterize and monitor L. infantum asymptomatic infections in combination with serological methods. To this end, 179 children from a region endemic for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), aged 1–10 years old, selected from a cross-sectional study, were identified as asymptomatic (n = 81) or uninfected (n = 98) by qPCR and/or serological tests (ELISA using L. infantum soluble antigen and rK39), and, together with serum samples of children diagnosed with VL (n = 43), were subjected to avidity tests and cytokine levels measurement. Avidity rates (AR) ranging from 41 to 70% were found in 29 children (66%) from the asymptomatic group. On the other hand, high AR (above 70%) were observed in 27 children (64%) from the VL group. Logistic Regression and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses demonstrated that lower AR and IFN-γ production associated with higher IL-17A levels were hallmarks in asymptomatic L. infantum infections. Therefore, this study proposes an association of immunological biomarkers that can be used as a complementary strategy for the characterization and monitoring of asymptomatic VL infections in children living in endemic areas.

scholarly journals Effective coverage of essential antenatal care interventions: A cross-sectional study of public primary healthcare clinics in the West Bank

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. e0212635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahima Venkateswaran ◽  
Binyam Bogale ◽  
Khadija Abu Khader ◽  
Tamara Awwad ◽  
Ingrid K. Friberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
The West ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Coverage ◽  
Primary Healthcare Clinics

scholarly journals Lead in breastmilk samples from women living in the West Bank: a cross-sectional study

The Lancet ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 391 ◽  
pp. S29
Author(s):  
Ramzi Shawahna ◽  
Ahed Zyoud ◽  
Jamela Dwikat ◽  
Maram El-Helo ◽  
Bayan Yacoub ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Bank ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
The West ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Status of Palestinian Adults in the West Bank, Palestine; A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-237
Author(s):  
Imad T. Asmar ◽  
Hani Naseef ◽  
Nimeh Al-Shami ◽  
Maram K. Jaghama ◽  
Abdallah D. Abukhalil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
The West ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapid manifestation and spread have disrupted world norms and affected people's daily activities and life. Many ministries chose mass lockdown protocol as a way to control the virus spread. Though this protocol has shown to be effective in limiting the Virus transmission, it might have a negative impact on the population's psychological status, such as boredom, confusion, psychological stress, anxiety, depression, and physical effects. Objective: This study aimed to find the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Palestinian adults' psychological status by assessing the participant's practices, reports of anxiety and depression during the pandemics Methods: An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Palestinian adults in the West Bank, at the occupied Palestinian territories, between July and September 2020. The questionnaire was structured into two domains: the first domain includes nine questions about sociodemographic data. The second consisted of 33 (yes and no) questions evaluating the participant's psychological status. Results: 739 participants with a mean age of 31.76, filled the online questionnaire. Around one-third of respondents revealed having many signs of anxiety, and around 42% of respondents expressed having many signs of depression. Females were significantly more likely to have signs of depression, whereas front-line COVID-19 health care workers were significantly the least likely to have signs of depression and no signs of depression were found among participants with high incomes. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has a negative effect on mental status; most participants have signs of anxiety and depression.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Regard to their Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Palestinians of the West Bank

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramzi Shawahna ◽  
Saed Samaro ◽  
Zaid Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
West Bank ◽  
The West ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
University Degree ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background: In Palestine, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly growing health concern. This study was conducted to evaluate current knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Palestinian patients with T2DM in the West Bank and to assess association between knowledge, attitudes, and practices with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in primary healthcare facilities frequently visited by patients with T2DM across the West Bank of Palestine. A pre-validated interviewer administered questionnaire was used to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices of patients with T2DM with regard to their disease.Results: Data were collected from 220 patients with T2DM. Patients who were younger than 55 years old (p-value = 0.002), male (p-value = 0.038), never married (p-value = 0.001), employed (p-value = 0.003), had university degree (p-value <0.001), had higher income (p-value <0.001), diagnosed less than 7 years ago (p-value = 0.009), and had usual fasting plasma glucose of less than 140 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027) tended to score more than 50% in the knowledge items. Patients who had higher income tended to have higher positive attitudes (p-value = 0.041) toward their disease. Patients who were younger than 55 years old (p-value = 0.002), employed (p-value = 0.003), had university degree (p-value <0.001), diagnosed less than 7 years ago (p-value = 0.009), had usual fasting plasma glucose of less than 140 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027), had usual postprandial plasma glucose of less than 200 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027), had usual HbA1c of less than 7% (p-value = 0.027) tended to score more than 80% in the practice items.Conclusions: The study established correlation between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM in Palestine. Findings of this study highlighted the need for appropriately designed interventions to increase knowledge of T2DM and its complications, address the negative attitudes toward the disease, and promote healthy practices with regard to the disease. Future studies are still needed to assess if such interventions could be effective in improve health outcomes and quality of life of patients with T2DM in Palestine.

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