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Almuqbil M, Alshaikh S, Alrumayh N, Alnahdi F, Fallatah E, Almutairi S, Imran M, Kamal M, Almehmadi M, Alsaiari AA, Alqarni WAA, Alasmari AM, Alwarthan S, Rabaan AA, Almadani ME, Asdaq SMB. Role of Natural Products in the Management of COVID-19: A Saudi Arabian Perspective. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11111584. [PMID: 37297724 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11111584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented circumstance that has never previously occurred. This has caused the Saudi Arabian people to recognize the necessity of preventive measures and explore alternative systems, such as using natural products (NPs), for treating their infection. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study were to explore the factors that influence the selection of NPs for COVID-19 management and to know the outcome of using NPs in COVID-19 infection management. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between February and April 2022. The validated pretested questionnaire was distributed among different regions of the country via a purposive snowball sampling procedure. Both descriptive statistics and stepwise regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the parameters related to the use of medicinal plants for the prevention of COVID-19 and the treatment of respiratory symptoms during the pandemic. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Of the 677 participants, 65% reported using NPs for themselves or family members during COVID-19. Utilizing NPs is always given priority by a significant (p < 0.001) percentage of survey respondents. Further, a highly significant (p < 0.001) percentage of participants felt that using NPs reduced their COVID-19 symptoms without having any remarkable (p < 0.001) adverse effects. Family and friends (59%) were the most frequent sources of information about utilizing NPs, followed by personal experience (41%). Honey (62.7%) and ginger (53.8%) were the most utilized NP among participants. Moreover, black seeds, garlic and turmeric were used by 40.5%, 37.7% and 26.3% of the surveyors, respectively. Those who used NPs before COVID-19 were 72.9% more likely to use them during COVID-19. NPs are more likely to be used by 75% of people who live in the central part of the country and whose families prefer it. This is true even if other factors are considered, such as the practice of using NPs along with traditional therapies and the fact that some participants' families prefer it. Our findings show that NPs were commonly used to treat COVID-19 infection among Saudi Arabian residents. Close friends and family members mainly encouraged the use of NPs. Overall, the use of NPs was high among those who participated in our study; such practices are strongly impacted by society. It is essential to promote extensive studies to improve the recognition and accessibility of these products. Authorities should also educate the people about the benefits and risks of using commonly used NPs, especially those reported in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Almuqbil
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Alshaikh
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nura Alrumayh
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fay Alnahdi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eiman Fallatah
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahad Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mehnaz Kamal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mazen Almehmadi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahad Amer Alsaiari
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Sara Alwarthan
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22610, Pakistan
| | - Moneer E Almadani
- Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
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Kodde C, Timmen F, Hohenstein S, Bollmann A, Bonsignore M, Kuhlen R, Nachtigall I, Tasci S. Impact of Dexamethasone on the Pathogen Profile of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051076. [PMID: 37243161 DOI: 10.3390/v15051076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Even though several therapeutic options are available, COVID-19 is still lacking a specific treatment regimen. One potential option is dexamethasone, which has been established since the early beginnings of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine its effects on the microbiological findings in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS A multi-center, retrospective study was conducted, in which all the adult patients who had a laboratory-confirmed (PCR) SARS-CoV-2 infection and were treated on intensive care units in one of twenty hospitals of the German Helios network between February 2020-March 2021 were included. Two cohorts were formed: patients who received dexamethasone and those who did not, followed by two subgroups according to the application of oxygen: invasive vs. non-invasive. RESULTS The study population consisted of 1.776 patients, 1070 of whom received dexamethasone, and 517 (48.3%) patients with dexamethasone were mechanically ventilated, compared to 350 (49.6%) without dexamethasone. Ventilated patients with dexamethasone were more likely to have any pathogen detection than those without (p < 0.026; OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.04-1.91). A significantly higher risk for the respiratory detection of Klebsiella spp. (p = 0.016; OR = 1.68 95% CI 1.10-2.57) and for Enterobacterales (p = 0.008; OR = 1.57; 95% CI 1.12-2.19) was found for the dexamethasone cohort. Invasive ventilation was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (p < 0.01; OR = 6.39; 95% CI 4.71-8.66). This risk increased significantly in patients aged 80 years or older by 3.3-fold (p < 0.01; OR = 3.3; 95% CI 2.02-5.37) when receiving dexamethasone. CONCLUSION Our results show that the decision to treat COVID-19 patients with dexamethasone should be a matter of careful consideration as it involves risks and bacterial shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin Kodde
- Germany Department of Respiratory Diseases, Lungenklinik Heckeshorn, Helios Hospital Emil-von-Behring, 14165 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Finja Timmen
- Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sven Hohenstein
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Bollmann
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marzia Bonsignore
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Prevention, Helios Hospitals, 47166 Duisburg, Germany
- Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Helios Universitätsklinikum Wuppertal, University of Witten/Herdecke, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Irit Nachtigall
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Helios Hospital Emil-von-Behring, 14165 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Selcuk Tasci
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Helios Hospital Bonn/Siegburg, 53721 Siegburg, Germany
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Brlić PK, Pavletić M, Lerga M, Krstanović F, Matešić MP, Miklić K, Malić S, Mikša L, Pajcur M, Peruč D, Schubert M, Bertoglio F, Arapović J, Protić A, Šustić A, Milošević M, Šain LČ, Jonjić S, Lisnić VJ, Brizić I. SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Nucleocapsid Antibody Response in Vaccinated Croatian Healthcare Workers and Infected Hospitalized Patients: A Single Center Cohort Study. Viruses 2022; 14:1966. [PMID: 36146773 PMCID: PMC9503044 DOI: 10.3390/v14091966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies assessing the dynamics and duration of antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination are an invaluable tool for vaccination schedule planning, assessment of risk groups and management of pandemics. In this study, we developed and employed ELISA assays to analyze the humoral responses to Nucleocapsid and Spike proteins in vaccinated health-care workers (HCW) and critically ill COVID-19 patients. Sera of more than 1000 HCWs and critically ill patients from the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka were tested across a one-year period, encompassing the spread of major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). We observed 97% of seroconversion in HCW cohort as well as sustained anti-Spike antibody response in vaccinees for more than 6 months. In contrast, the infection-induced anti-Nucleocapsid response was waning significantly in a six-month period. Furthermore, a substantial decrease in vaccinees' anti-Spike antibodies binding to Spike protein of Omicron VOC was also observed. Critically ill COVID-19 patients had higher levels of anti-Spike and anti-Nucleocapsid antibodies compared to HCWs. No significant differences in anti-Spike and anti-Nucleocapsid antibody levels between the critically ill COVID-19 patients that were on non-invasive oxygen supplementation and those on invasive ventilation support were observed. However, stronger anti-Spike, but not anti-Nucleocapsid, antibody response correlated with a better disease outcome in the cohort of patients on invasive ventilation support. Altogether, our results contribute to the growing pool of data on humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Kučan Brlić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Martina Pavletić
- Emergency Department, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Mate Lerga
- Emergency Department, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Fran Krstanović
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marina Pribanić Matešić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Karmela Miklić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Suzana Malić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Leonarda Mikša
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maja Pajcur
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Dolores Peruč
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maren Schubert
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Federico Bertoglio
- Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jurica Arapović
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Mostar, Bijeli Brijeg b.b., 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Alen Protić
- Department of Anesthesiology, Reanimation, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Alan Šustić
- Department of Anesthesiology, Reanimation, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- Department of Clinical Medical Science II, Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marko Milošević
- Department of Anesthesiology, Reanimation, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Luka Čičin Šain
- Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Department of Viral Immunology, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover/Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), Joint Venture of Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stipan Jonjić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Vanda Juranić Lisnić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ilija Brizić
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
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