Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients’ subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.
ABSTRACT Objective: Cardiovascular diseases are the first ranked cause of death worldwide. Adhering to health promoting lifestyle behaviors will maintain an individual’s cardiovascular health and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: In this descriptive study, 150 nursing faculty were surveyed via a non-probability (purposive) sampling method to assess their adherence to health promoting lifestyle in order to know the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The Arabic version of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) was used to achieve this goal. Results: Seventy-two nursing faculty completed the survey. The results indicated that the study sample had moderate level of health promotion based on Health-Promot
... Show More<span>Blood donation is the main source of blood resources in the blood banks which is required in the hospitals for everyday operations and blood compensation for the patients. In special cases, the patients require fresh blood for compensation such as in the case of major operations and similar situations. Moreover, plasma transfusions are vital in the current pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In this paper, we have proposed a donation system that manages the appointments between the donors and the patient in the case of fresh blood donation is required. The website is designed using the Bootstrap technology to provide suitable access using the PC or the smart phones web browser. The website contains large database
... Show MoreTo assess the impact of COVID‐19 on oral hygiene (OH) awareness, attitude towards dental treatment, fear of infection and economic impact in the Middle East.
This survey was performed by online distribution of questionnaires in three countries in the Middle East (Jordan, Iraq and Egypt). The questionnaire consisted of five sections: the first section was aimed at collecting demographic data and the rest sections used to assess OH awareness, attitude towards dental treatment, degree of fear and economic impact of COVID‐19. The answers were either multiple choice, closed‐end (Yes or N
Background: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a communicable disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread globally, leading to an ongoing pandemic.
Aim of study: to review the clinical, lab investigation and imaging techniques, in pediatric age group affected COVID-19 to help medical experts better understand and supply timely diagnosis and treatment.
Subjects and methods: this study is a retrospective descriptive clinical study. The medical records of patients were analyzed. Information’s recorded include demographic data, exposure history, symptoms, signs, laboratory findin
... Show MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the healthcare sector and the productivity of medical staff and doctors. This study employs machine learning to analyze the post-COVID-19 impact on the productivity of medical staff and doctors across various specialties. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 960 participants from different specialties between June 1, 2022, and April 5, 2023. The study collected demographic data, including age, gender, and socioeconomic status, as well as information on participants' sleeping habits and any COVID-19 complications they experienced. The findings indicate a significant decline in the productivity of medical staff and doctors, with an average reduction of 23% during the post-COVID-19 period. T
... Show MoreThis study aims to analyze the messages of a number of global news outlets on Twitter. In order to clarify the news outlets tactics of reporting, the subjects and focus during the crisis related to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The study sample was chosen in a deliberate manner to provide descriptive results. Three news sites were selected: two of the most followed, professional and famous international news sites: New York Times and the Guardian, and one Arab news site: Al-Arabiya channel.
A total of 18,085 tweets were analyzed for the three accounts during the period from (1/3/2020) to (8/4/2020). A content analysis form was used to analyze the content of the news coverage. The results indicate an increase in th
... Show MoreAbstract
The current research aims to identify the attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccine and the Locus of Control (internal, external) among university students, to identify the significance of the difference in attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccine, the significance of the difference in the Locus of Control (internal, external) according to the gender variable (male, female), and to identify the significance of the difference in students’ attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccine according to the Locus of Control (internal, external). To achieve the objective of the research, the researcher developed two scales, a scale of (20) items to identify the attitudes toward a covid-19 vaccine, and a scale of the locus of c
... Show MoreIn this work an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique has been used for detection of some inflammatory markers in serum of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-Patients Admitted to the cardiac care unit (CCU) of Iraqi Centre For Heart Diseases and Ibn AlNafees Teaching Hospital. The present method includes quantitative measurement of interleukine-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as their increase during symptoms may be responsible for identifying the mechanism of myocardial damag, in addition to their best performance than other quantitative tests perhaps due to their association with atherosclerotic process that belongs to the endothelial dysfunction. Aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlation of IL-6 w
... Show More