Emergency Medical Services Challenges Regarding Resource Capacity and Competency during COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the availability of resources, personal protective equipment PPE) and beliefs amongst Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals in Makkah city. Also, we aimed to assess various aspects of how Emergency Medical Services are handling the COVID-19 pandemic via online self-administrated questionnaire. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 276 EMS providers from the city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia during the period from July 2020 to June 2021. SPSS (version 21.0) was used for data entry and data analysis. We approximate a 95% confidence interval (±0.05). Results: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are representing most of the participants, 44% and 43%, respectively. EMS doctor, EMS registered nurse and others represent the remaining 13%. When the participants assessed their level of satisfaction on how their institutions have handled the pandemic, 34% expressed that they were satisfied, 14% were very satisfied, while 21% and 13% expressed that they were dissatisfied and very dissatisfied. On the availability of resources, 42% had access to N95 masks whenever they needed access to them while 33% did not have access. Conclusion: As the study demonstrates a relationship between the capability of emergency medical services personnel to handle a pandemic like COVID-19 and institutional preparedness, there are still significant gaps in EMS personnel's PPE training. EMS agencies should be supported in their efforts to effectively prepare their workers while the pandemic continues in our communities. Therefore, institutions should adopt guidelines that stipulate care for patients with COVID-19, provide training to emergency personnel, and properly distribute resources and PPE.

Frequency of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in Saudi healthy blood donors versus non-Saudi in a retrospective study in Makkah City

Purpose: to assess the frequency of ABO and Rh blood groups among Saudi and non-Saudi healthy blood donors and to compare between them. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted; in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. It included 15,365 participants of 44 nationalities who have attended the blood bank of King Abdul Aziz Hospital. The collected data were age, sex, nationality, ABO, and Rhesus blood groups. Results: 46.8 % of the participants were O, 28.8 % A, 19.5 % B, and 4.9% AB. The nationalities with a higher frequency of blood group O were Saudi, Mauritanian, Yemeni, Thai, Malian, Sudanese, Jordanian, Indian, Moroccan, Somali, Malaysian, Indonesian, Myanmar, Nigerian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Algerian, Djibouti, Burkinabe, Eritrean, Ghanaian, Bahraini, Bosnian, Canadian, Gambian, Iraqi, and Sri Lankan. Those with a higher frequency of blood group A were Turkish, Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Afghan, Chadian, French, Tunisian, Cameroonian, Ethiopian, and British. Those with a higher frequency of B were Nigerien, American, Nepalese, and two nationalities with higher AB frequency Filipino and Chinese. 91.6 % of all populations were Rh-positive, and 8.4% were Rh-negative. The Saudi participants were like some nationalities and differed from others. Conclusion: In Makkah city, the higher frequency of ABO blood group in Saudi and non -Saudi people is O followed by A, then B, and AB. The Rh-positive is predominant, and 8.4% of the participants are negative. The ABO and Rh blood groups' identifications are essential for providing suitable blood storage for individuals in need.

Towards sustainable cities: the role of residential satisfaction in facing COVID-19 in Makkah City in Saudi Arabia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of residential satisfaction in facing the outbreaks of the COVID-19. It reveals the relationship between personal risk perception (PRP), preventive behavior (PB), residential satisfaction (RS) and level of compliance with government recommendations to stay at home (CGRS) of Makkah residents in Saudi Arabia in its effort toward containing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional online survey design was used with a sample of 250 respondents from Makkah City selected using a simple random sampling strategy. The instrument for data collection was a developed and validated instruments tag “Risk Perception and Preventive Behavior against COVID-19 Questionnaire (RP-COVID-Q).” The data obtained through the questionnaire were screened and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Similarly, a Partial-Least Square Structural Equation Modeling procedure was adopted to test the hypotheses with a bootstrap mediation effect test. Findings The results revealed that Makkah residents’ level of PRP, PB and CGRS was not found to vary with gender; however, the RS of the residents differs with respect to their gender. Moreover, the level of PRP was significantly related to PB, RS and level of CGRS. RS increased the likelihood of the Makkah residents to comply with government recommendations against COVID-19 while adherence to PB, which would contribute to the reduction in the spread of the pandemic in Makkah city. Further, the RS is recognized as a significant mediating factor between PRP and CGRS during the COVID-19. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study help in understanding the role of residential satisfaction during pandemics and, hence, stressing the important of residential qualities that need improvements for better sustainable cities in the future. Originality/value While all countries are strategizing to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, it is equally important to access residential satisfaction in the cities with high visitor inflow. Limited research has been done in Saudi Arabia.

DETERMINANTS OF ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT AMONG HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS IN MAKKAH CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Background: Adherence of hemodialysis patients to medical instructions is considered crucial for a longer life expectancy and better quality of life. There is solid evidence that non-adherence to end-stage renal disease patients correlates with morbidity and mortality, is the norm for dialysis patients rather than the exception, multiple factors influence it and inconsistencies exist in findings of the relationships between risk factors and non-adherence. Despite the importance of this topic, there is remarkable paucity in the studies which identify factors associated with non-adherence in hemodialysis patients in Saudi Arabia. Aims and Objectives: The current study aims at ameliorating the adverse consequences of non-adherence among hemodialysis patients through providing scientific background and a better understanding of the factors associated with non-adherence. The objectives of this study were to determine factors related to non-adherence to fluid, diet, medication, and hemodialysis sessions among hemodialysis patients in Makkah city. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional one, where a sample of 361 hemodialysis patients was selected randomly from hemodialysis centers in three governmental hospitals in Makkah in order to determine factors related to their non-adherence to treatment by using an end-stage renal disease-adherence questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) in addition to clinical examination and laboratory investigation for other data. Results: Younger (<30 years), unmarried, non-Saudis, those with chronic diseases other than hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and those with long dialysis duration (60+ months) were found more likely to be non-adherent to fluid. Females patients and those with short dialysis duration (<60 months) were found more likely to be non-adherent to diet and medications, respectively. Conclusion: Patients who had factors associated with non-adherence deserve special attention and support to improve their adherence behavior. The findings from this study can be used as a base for designing an intervention aimed to increase the adherence to treatment in end-stage renal disease patients who are undergoing hemodialysis in order to decrease the direct and indirect costs that appear as a consequence of non-adherence.

Impact of elevation and slope aspect on floristic composition in wadi Elkor, Sarawat Mountain, Saudi Arabia

The current research was carried out in Wadi Elkor, one of the Sarawat Mountains regions, which is a special location from an environmental standpoint and one of the only places in Saudi Arabia where a range of Palaearctic flora co-exists with Afrotropical species. The study aimed to determine the floristic composition as well as the effects of slope aspect and elevation on species, life forms, and phytogeographical elements distribution. The study area is located in Wadi Elkor, a valley in the Sarawat Mountains that cuts off the Al-Hada escarpment, 47 km southeast of Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. We conducted the research at three different locations, each with a different elevation and slope aspect. Based on floristic composition, Ward classification moreover Jaccard comparisons were performed. A total of 189 species was discovered, divided into 131 genera and 43 families. The current study identified Argyrolobium rarum Dumme as a new vascular plant in Saudi Arabia's terrestrial flora. In the current study, the Gramineae, Leguminosae, and Compositae families contributed 29% of the total plant species, whereas 14 families were represented by one species each. Solanum was the most numerous genus, with seven species, followed by Acacia and Pulicaria, each with six species, while Commicarpos and Euphorbia, each with four species. At an elevation of 1060 m above sea level, the north facing slope had the most plants, genera, and families. Therophytes had the most species, accounting for 44%, followed by Chamaephytes, which accounted for 26%. Hemicryptophytes accounted for 12% of the total, while phanerophytes accounted for 10%. In the studied area, the bioregional Saharo-Sindian and Sudano-Zambesian groups were the most well-represented (41%). The floristic composition, as well as the distribution of life forms and phytogeographical components, were found to be significantly affected by the elevation and slope aspects. The study showed that slope aspect and elevation both affected the distribution of plant species, with elevation being the most influential of the two variables.

Reaktualisasi Pengukuran Arah Kiblat Dengan Metode Segitiga Bola Pada Masjid Dan Musholla

An understanding of the Qibla direction is very important for Muslims, because facing the Qibla is one of the legal requirements for performing prayers. Although now the technology to determine the Qibla direction is sophisticated, it is necessary to know how to determine the actual Qibla direction. The determination of the direction of the Qibla with the spherical triangle method is based on a triangle on the surface of the globe which is formed by three large circles of the globe, namely two circles of the earth's longitude and one circle of Qibla. The intersection of the three large circles forms three points, namely point A (Makkah), point B (the location where the Qibla direction will be calculated), and point C (the North Pole). The steps in determining the Qibla direction include: (1) Prepare the data needed in calculating the Qibla direction of a place, namely latitude and longitude data for the Kaaba (Makkah city), as well as latitude and longitude data for the location/city to be calculated. the qibla direction; (2) Calculation of the Qibla direction using the formula , with: B = Angle of the direction of the Qibla of a place, C = The difference between the longitude of the Kaaba and the longitude of the place where the Qibla direction is being sought, a = 90o – tp (latitude), and b = 90o – ka (Kaaba latitude); (3) Calculation of true Qibla azimuth from true north in a clockwise direction, where true Qibla azimuth = 360o – Qibla direction angle (B); (4) Determination of the actual Qibla direction by measuring using an arc ruler as large as true Qibla azimuth from true north.

COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Medication Dispensing and the use of Health Services in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Aims: March 2020, WHO revealed that COVID-19 was a pandemic. Coughing, sneezing, close contact with infected individuals speeds up the disease spread. Saudi Arabia's government and the Ministry of Health sought to spread social awareness of the importance of quarantine and restriction, but unprecedented challenges and obstacles emerged. Therefore, in this study, the effect of COVID-19 on the dispensing of medication and the use of health care services evaluated. Study design: This survey, cross-sectional, was performed in Makkah city individuals. Place and Duration of Study: This survey was run out in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia for seven days, starting from June 15, 2020, to June 22, 2020. Methodology: Survey of 112 applicants (33 men, 79 women; age range 16-56+ years) had been performed to explore COVID-19 impact on medication dispensing and the use of health care services regarding sociodemographic data in Makkah city residents, Saudi Arabia. Results: This study demonstrated that most of the survey respondents coped well with COVID-19 changes. A significant correlation was found between coping with COVID-19 changes and the age of participants (F(df) = 7.846 (4,107), P-value 0.006) and (F(df) = 4.025 (4,107), P-value 0.047), respectively. Of all the participants, 68.75% had been able to dispense a prescription medication during COVID-19 restrictions. Among them, 30.36, 21.43, and 16.96% dispensed a prescription once, twice, and more than three times, respectively. The data showed that 67.86% of the participants successfully purchased medication from a community pharmacy during COVID-19 restrictions. There was no change in medication availability or price, at about 61.61% and 76.79%, respectively. A significant correlation between medication availability-price (F(df) = 4.025(3,105), P-value 0.047) was found. During COVID-19 restrictions, 51.79% of the respondents were able to access health care services such as hospitals that provide health checking, or substance use for disease treatment. Interestingly, 25% of the participants had the same accessibility to health care services. Conclusion: This research revealed that through the COVID-19 pandemic, the dispensing, availability, and price changes of medication and the use of health care services were running in a good manner. This would show that although there were restrictions due to COVID-19, access to medication or health care services was running smoothly.

Lack of Zika Virus and Other Recognized Flaviviruses among the Mosquito Vectors during and Post the Hajj Mass Gathering

Makkah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), contains many of the world’s mosquito vectors of parasitic and arboviral disease and is the site of the Hajj mass gathering. As such there is a risk of exportation and globalization of vector-borne viruses, including the re-emerging Zika virus (ZIKV). There was international concern regarding the introduction of ZIKV to KSA and potential international spread of the virus following the 2016 Hajj which took place few days after the Rio summer Olympics at the height of the ZIKV pandemic. We aimed to detect flaviviruses, including ZIKV, circulating among mosquito hosts in the city of Makkah during and post the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage. Mosquitos (adults and larvae) were sampled from 15 sites in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and identified to species by morphological keys. Mosquitos were pooled according to date of collection, location, and species. A Pan-Flaviviruses RT-PCR assay that enables identification of 51 flaviviruses species and three tentative species was used to detect flavivirus RNA directly from mosquito homogenates. Between the 10 September and 6 October 2016, 9412 female mosquitos were collected. Of these, 81.3% were Aedes aegypti, 18.6% were Culex species, and 0.1% were Anopheles species. Of the total 493 mosquito pools generated, 242 (49%) were positive by the Pan-Flaviviruses primer set. Sequence analysis revealed that none of the mosquitos carried a pathogenic flavivirus, including ZIKV, but were infected with a novel insect-specific flavivirus. We found no pathogenic flaviviruses circulating in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and no evidence of introduction of ZIKV through the pilgrimage. Enhanced vector-borne diseases surveillance, prevention, and control are crucial in KSA especially during international mass gatherings such as the annual Hajj to prevent outbreaks and the spread of viruses with epidemic and pandemic potentials.