News from the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA countries) and Turkey

Hutan

Hutan

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Staff member
I'm surprised we don't yet have a regional thread for the Middle East as we have seen some ME/CFS and Long Covid papers out of this region.

The MENA country grouping seems to be often used, ie from the World Bank definition:
six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates [UAE]),
and 15 other countries or territories: Algeria, Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Republic of Yemen, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and West Bank and Gaza.

Adding Turkey to the thread.

Israel and Malta have separate threads.
 
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Frequency and characteristics of CFS and MS patients at a university hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2024, AlAmri, Abdullah S et al
Abstract
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BACKGROUND:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects various parts of the central nervous system. Fatigue, a common symptom, transient, prolonged, or chronic experienced by individuals with MS, can significantly impact daily functioning. It can be associated with underlying pathological processes or can have an idiopathic cause, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The study aimed to assess the presence and etiology of fatigue in MS patients and its relationship with CFS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a questionnaire from a sample of 225 MS patients receiving care at our university hospital. The questionnaire included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for diagnosing CFS and the Expanded Disability Status Scale to evaluate fatigue in MS patients.

RESULTS:
Of the total of 225 MS patients who participated in this study, 87.1% were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, 6.7% with primary progressive MS, 3.6% with clinically isolated syndrome, and 2.7% with secondary progressive MS. About 53% had experienced fatigue that persisted for over 6 months. Analysis of CFS diagnosis revealed that 7.3% of patients met both CDC criteria and self-reported answers while 17.5% reported having CFS despite not meeting the CDC criteria. These findings highlight a significant lack of agreement between patient-reported diagnoses and established criteria, indicating poor agreement (P = 0.028).

CONCLUSION:
The study found an association between CFS and MS, and a significant impact on daily functioning. The study revealed lack of agreement between patient-reported diagnoses and established criteria for CFS. This emphasizes the need for a standardized approach to diagnosis and evaluation of fatigue in MS patients.
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Forum thread here:
Frequency and characteristics of CFS and MS patients at a university hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2024, AlAmri et al
 
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Impacts of Moderate Severity COVID-19 on Functional Capacity, Exercise Tolerance, Muscle Strength, Hand Grip and QOL, Maha Alshammari, Alsayed Shanb, Mohammed Alsubaiei, Mohammad Ahsan

Ministry of health,

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University,

Helwan University


Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to global health, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. While acute and severe cases COVID-19 receive considerable attention, those with moderate severity of COVID-19 are also prone to substantial functional impairments that make them warranted for investigations. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 with moderate-severity on functional capacity, exercise tolerance, isometric muscle strength, hand grip, and quality of life.

Methods
Ninety-six participants (48 with COVID-19, 48 without COVID-19) were recruited in this cross-section study. The effects on functional capacity, exercise tolerance, isometric muscle power, hand grip, and quality of life were measured by the 6-minute walk test, One-minute sit-to-stand test, Hand-held dynamometer, Hand grip dynamometer and Quality of Life Questionnaire respectively. Shapiro-Wilk's test was used to test normality of data, Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the significant differences between COVID-19 and matched groups. The Spearman correlation was used to determine the relationships among outcome measures.

Results
Mean values of functional capacity, isometric muscle power, hand grip, and quality of life reduced significantly in patients with moderate COVID-19 on comparison with their matched (p-values < 0.05), except exercise tolerance (p-values > 0.05). Positive relationships were detected between exercise tolerance, and strength of the hand grip and knee extensors; also, between distance of the 6-minute walk test and exercise tolerance, strength of the hand grip and knee extensors (p = < 0.001).

Conclusion
Patients with COVID-19 moderate severity have impairments in functional capacity, exercise tolerance, isometric muscle strength, hand grip, and quality of life. Exercise tolerance correlated positively with the 6 MWT, strength of the hand grip and knee extensors, thus multi-dimension health care training programs need to be extended for those patients whatever the severity degree of infection.
LINK
 
Prevalence and Characteristics of Long Covid among COVID-19 Survivors in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Highlights
  • Observational, analytical cross-sectional study on COVID-19 survivors.
  • High prevalence of long COVID-19 among COVID-19 survivors in Saudi Arabia.
  • Severe symptoms and hospitalization correlated with presence of comorbidities.
Abstract
Background
This study explores the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of long COVID-19 among COVID-19 survivors in Saudi Arabia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study involving 486 COVID-19 survivors was conducted. Participants were confirmed via PCR testing and enrolled from November 2020 to December 2020.
Results
The study found a high prevalence of long COVID symptoms, with 61% of participants reporting persistent symptoms. The prevalence was similar across demographic factors: 43% were aged 18-30 years, 71% were female, and 30% had comorbidities. The most common symptoms included fatigue (56%), breathlessness (47%), loss of smell (44%), and muscle aches (40%), alongside digestive issues, chest pain, headaches, tachycardia, joint pain, and skin problems.
Conclusion
This study underscores the significance of understanding long COVID's impact on individuals' health and quality of life. It highlights the necessity for further research to guide healthcare strategies and support COVID-19 survivors in Saudi Arabia.
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