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Background: In situations beyond their control, individuals often exhibit feelings of despair and diminished motivation, leading to the onset of depression. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the occurrence and factors influencing depression among the population of St. Kitts and Nevis amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This research study utilized quantitative methods through structured questionnaires distributed via a self-administered online survey using a cross-sectional approach. Sampling encompassed a combination of purposive and snowballing techniques, culminating in a participant pool of 397 individuals. The analysis of data was performed using IBM-SPSS version 25.0. Result: The prevalence of depression overall stood at 65.5%. Female respondents exhibited 2.18 times higher odds of experiencing depression compared to males, while individuals aged 30 to 39 had a 2.80 times higher likelihood of developing depression compared to other age groups. Those earning between 2000 and 5000 had a 2.28 times higher probability of experiencing depression compared to individuals in different income brackets. Moreover, civil servants showed a 3.66 times higher likelihood of experiencing depression, and individuals whose businesses were forcibly closed faced an 18.91 times higher chance of developing depression. Respondents whose lives were significantly impacted by the pandemic exhibited a 4.48 times higher tendency to face mental health challenges compared to those affected differently by COVID-19 consequences. Additionally, 66.1% of respondents believed life should resume normalcy despite the escalating virus cases, based on their perceptions of COVID-19 preventive measures. Conclusion: The government must implement sufficient measures aimed at mitigating the pandemic’s effects to lessen the prevalence of depression.

Background and objective: Children in the developing world are vulnerable to iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) because they grow fast and consume diets low in iron. Thus, this study assessed anemia in children aged 6 - 12 years in rural Nigeria, using hematological indices and serum ferritin as diagnostic tools. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in two primary schools in Kumin Masara Kataf village in Kaduna state, Nigeria. School children aged 6 - 12 years were enrolled. Personal information and laboratory data were collected. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentration was estimated to determine anemia and iron status. Data analysis was done using IBM-SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA, version-25.0. Results: A total of 191 school-age children aged 6 - 12 years were enrolled in the study. The overall serum ferritin was 16.51±5.20 mg/L, but the children aged 6 - 9 years had significantly (p

Background/Objectives: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an RNA virus recognized to be spread mainly by fecal-contaminated water. Its infection is known to be a serious threat to public health globally, mostly in developing countries, in which Africa is one of the regions sternly affected. An African-based vaccine is necessary to actively prevent HEV infection. Methods: This study developed an in silico epitope-based subunit vaccine, incorporating CTL, HTL, and BL epitopes with suitable linkers and adjuvants. Results: The in silico-designed vaccine construct proved immunogenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic and displayed appropriate physicochemical properties with high solubility. The 3D structure was modeled and subjected to protein docking with Toll-like receptors 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9, which showed a stable binding efficacy, and the dynamics simulation indicated steady interaction. Furthermore, the immune simulation predicted that the designed vaccine would instigate immune responses when administered to humans. Lastly, using a codon adaptation for the E. coli K12 bacterium produced optimum GC content and a high CAI value, which was followed by in silico integration into a pET28 b (+) cloning vector. Conclusions: Generally, these results propose that the design of an epitope-based subunit vaccine can function as an outstanding preventive vaccine candidate against HEV, although validation techniques via in vitro and in vivo approaches are required to justify this statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]