Publications by authors named "Alaa Shaikh"
Introduction: The National AIDS Program in Jordan has faced numerous challenges, including insufficient funding, limited resources, and complexities brought on by refugee influxes. The absence of a reliable HIV/AIDS surveillance system further complicates tracking and responding to the epidemic. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and functionality of the National AIDS Program and the HIV/AIDS surveillance system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well known that several viral infections are capable of triggering the formation of HLA antibodies; however, an association between SARS-CoV-2 and the development of anti-HLA antibodies is not yet confirmed. In this study, we compared the prevalence of HLA antibody before and after COVID-19 infection in a cohort of 3 groups included 58 healthy nonsensitized employees (HNEs), 130 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), and 62 kidney transplant candidates. There were no significant changes observed in HLA class I antibodies in any of the groups, but evaluation of antibodies to HLA class II revealed a significant change in the KTR group (P = .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are at a significantly higher risk of worst outcomes if infected with COVID-19 and thus amongst the main target population for vaccination. Despite prioritizing them for vaccination, the number of vaccinated patients with comorbidities stalled post vaccine introduction. Despite that the government along with partners ran a national awareness campaign to ramp up vaccination coverage, the coverage remained suboptimal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe existence of conspiracy beliefs has been previously linked to multiple individual traits and factors, such as anxiety, lack of information, education, and social factors. This study aims to explore the factors and variables influencing the individual's susceptibility to conspiratorial thinking, as well as the impact of COVID-19 conspiracy belief on the adoption of public health and social measures. This study explores the factors influencing the susceptibility to conspiratorial thinking and the impact of conspiracy theories on the adoption of public health and social measures.
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- The COVID-19 pandemic has forced medical practices to prioritize COVID-19 patients, leading to the postponement of non-COVID treatments in Jordan.
- Data collected from King Abdullah University Hospital revealed a significant decrease in healthcare service demand, including fewer admissions and surgeries, which could negatively impact patients relying on government health insurance.
- The article calls for a balanced approach to health resource allocation during pandemics, emphasizing the need for a framework to address both COVID-19 and non-COVID cases effectively, while also planning for elective surgeries post-pandemic.
Purpose: Given their negative influence on community health, vaccine hesitancy and resistance are emerging challenges that require healthcare intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of physician-pharmacist collaborative health coaching on rates of hesitancy and resistance for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Methods: After an initial assessment of rates of hesitancy and resistance for a COVID-19 vaccine was conducted, hesitant and resistant participants were approached, recruited, and randomized into an active and control group.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and then moved to almost every country showing an unprecedented outbreak. The world health organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, millions of people were infected, and millions have lost their lives all around the globe.
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- Lung cancer is a growing health issue in Jordan, exacerbated by ineffective tobacco control and new smoking trends; this study examines its epidemiology and types related to age, sex, and smoking habits.
- The study analyzed 434 lung cancer cases from 2004 to 2017, revealing a significant male predominance (86.9%) with a mean age of 63.8 years, and found that cases were more common among older individuals and smokers.
- Adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent histopathological type, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors; the study noted varying smoker-to-non-smoker ratios for different lung cancer types and an overall slight decrease in the median age of patients
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), aiming to enhance understanding of HPV's role in LSCC to help reduce its impact.
- A total of 52 tissue samples diagnosed as LSCC from 2005 to 2015 were examined using various immunohistochemical stains to assess HPV presence.
- Results showed a lower prevalence of HPV in LSCC than previously reported, with HPV-16 being the most common strain, while cyclin B proved to be a sensitive marker for ruling out HPV presence.*
Objectives: To detect resistance genes to fluoroquinolones and β-lactams in Salmonella strains from a Saudi hospital.
Methods: From October 2015 to December 2016, a total of 149 Salmonella strains were collected from stool specimens from patients admitted to King Fahad Hospital of the University, AlKhobar, Saudi Arabia using CHROMagar Salmonella. The organism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using Vitek 2 system.
Purpose: Enterobacteriaceae encoding plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC) β-lactamases confer resistance to the third generation cephalosporins. pAmpC association with extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs) is well documented. There are limited data regarding the epidemiology and clinical significance of pAmpC in Saudi Arabia.
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