Respiratory epidemics and older people.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been particularly severe on older people. Past coronavirus epidemics namely Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome have also been severe on older people. These epidemics lasted for only a limited period, however, and have proven short lived in the memories of both the public and public health systems.

Medical education and research environment in Qatar: a new epoch for translational research in the Middle East.

Recent advances in medical technology and key discoveries in biomedical research have the potential to improve human health in an unprecedented fashion. As a result, many of the Arab Gulf countries, particularly Qatar are devoting increasing resources toward establishing centers of excellence in biomedical research. However, there are challenges that must be overcome.