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Objectives: This study aimed to determine the factors causing an elevated risk of mortality among the elderly due to SARS-CoV2. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. The population of the study included all adults aged 60 years or older who were admitted at Sohar Hospital with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Data was obtained from hospital records with a focus on patients’ demographic information and then analysed quantitatively with a focus on descriptive and analytic statistics in the investigation of associations between patient outcomes and the data presented in patient records. Results: A total of 404 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 72.72 years (SD 8.93). Male patients represented 57.9% of the sample. The most common comorbidities among patients were hypertension (73.1%), diabetes mellitus (55.6%) and heart diseases (29.2%). The most commonly recorded heart diseases included ischemic heart disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and arrhythmias. Focusing on the symptoms, the most common were cough (76.2%), fever (72%), shortness of breath (68.6%), poor oral intake (15.4%), and chest pain (14.6%). The mortality rate was 36.4% and the mortality risk was associated with older age (AOR=3.106, p=0.001), male sex (AOR=1.648, p=0.0043), renal diseases (AOR=2.905, p=0.003), dyspnoea (AOR=4.067, p<0.001), altered mental status (AOR=4.242, p=0.002). Conclusions: Compared to other age groups, adults over 60 have a higher risk of dying from COVID-19. Higher mortality risk is connected with increasing age, male gender, the prevalence of renal disease, confusion, and dyspnoea in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fruit fly species in Oman were investigated via sampling of fruits from cultivated and wild plants and hanging traps. A total of 13 species of tephritids were identified using morphological and molecular techniques. Three unidentified species could be new to science. Moreover, 2-3 species of braconid parasitoids and one figitid species, mostly associated with fruit fly infested Ziziphus fruits, were collected. A new lure for female fruit flies, consisting of a combination of urea and watermelon seeds, exhibited effectiveness on par with commercial lures such as torula yeast and Ceratrap. In terms of physical barriers, row covers significantly reduced zucchini fruit damage even when applied as a wall around the planting line. An experiment, involving combining growing melon in the greenhouse with a honeybee hive for flower pollination, proved successful in producing a large number of undamaged fruits. In terms of biological control, we managed to set up a system for rearing of major pestiferous fruit fly species and their parasitoids. We currently have two active cultures of Bactrocera zonata and B. dorsalis, and one active culture of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (DL), a braconid parasitoid imported from Kenya. We hope in the future to produce large numbers of DL wasps for augmentative release in Oman. Fruit fly cultures have served as stock for testing plant extracts as repellents against female B. zonata and B. dorsalis and for testing Beauveria bassiana formulations for control of adults and larvae of B. zonata. Studies of Fruit fly population dynamics and height of flight have shown that yellow sticky traps, set at different heights from 0.5 to 3.5 m, captured significantly more males than females. Additionally, most fruit flies were captured at 2m and lower. The population of male B. dorsalis in ME traps was highest from April to June, and lowest from November to January. Conversely, the population of male B. zonata in ME traps peaked from September to December, and dropped to its lowest levels from April to July. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overview: To combat the overwhelming demand for medical services and care during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Sultanate of Oman launched the COVID-19 Field Hospital in 2020, designed to respond and alleviate the burden on the medical infrastructure. Several studies globally and from the Middle East suggested that frontline healthcare workers (HCW) were at risk of developing markers of psychological distress. It was further understood through research findings that HCW were resilient during times of crisis. However, there is a dearth in studies evaluating the emotional status of frontline HCW posted in the COVID-19 field hospitals in Gulf Countries, including Oman. This study attempts to shed light on the emotional status of HCW that were on the frontlines in the field hospital in the Sultanate of Oman., Aim: This study aims to quantify and evaluate the emotional status of HCW in the frontline field hospital by screening for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality., Method: The data was collected by a local private mental healthcare facility as part of digital feedback to design and implement supportive strategies. Data was collected between September 2021 and October 2021 from 121 HCW in the COVID-19 Field hospital in Oman via 'WhatsApp'., Results: Chi square and binary logistic regression tests were administered to evaluate the data. The participants comprised of 63.6% females and 79.3% were between 30 and 39 years of age. Majority of the participants (65.2%) described themselves as 'financially unstable' and possess an average of 7.5 years of work experience. Of the participants 73.6% of the HCW were based solely in the field hospital for 6-9 months at the time of the survey. Majority of the participants denied the presence of emotional distress expressed through depression (92.6%), anxiety (92.6%) and poor quality of sleep (59.5%)., Conclusion: The findings of the present study reflect the HCW ability to cope during challenging situations likely owing to a variety of environmental, social and personal protective factors. The findings of this study can translate into further research on identifying and addressing stressors and targeting the enhancement of protective factors to safeguard the well-being of HCW., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors declare that this study received funding from Petroleum Development of Oman. The funder had the following involvement in the study: study design and preparation of the manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 McCall, Al-Sinawi, Al-Kharusi, Al Rawahi, Al Balushi, Al-Lawati, Rizzo, Al-Rasadi and Al Maniri.)

Background: Laboratory- related musculoskeletal disorders (LMSDs) are injuries resulting from working in the laboratory. Biomedical scientists (BMSs) play an important role in any health care system. However, they are at high risk of exposure to the LMSDs., Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and the associated risk factors of LMSDs among this group of healthcare professionals., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to estimate the prevalence of the LMSDs among the BMSs. BMSs with occupational or non-occupational accidents that affected their musculoskeletal system were excluded from the study. A Chi-square test was performed to measure the significant association between different risk factors (age, gender, weight, height, nationality, specialty, educational level, nature of the job, and the number of experience years) and the prevalence of the LMSDs among the BMSs., Results: The study included 83 BMSs. Females represented 63.9% and 36.1% were in the age group of 35- 44. The overall prevalence of the LMSDs was 77.1%. The most prevalent LMSDs were neck, shoulders, and lower back with 50.6%, 49.4%, and 43.4%, respectively. A total of 65.57% of BMSs had irregular symptoms of LMSDs., Conclusion: The study found that the prevalence of LMSDs among the BMSs was high. Good practice and training in ergonomics may minimize the prevalence of LMSDs among the BMSs.

Background: Total disc replacement as a treatment for degenerative disc disease is gaining increased popularity. There is limited data in the literature about formation of a pseudotumor as a complication following this procedure. We report a very rare case of a pseudotumor after a lumbar total disc replacement with a review of the literature., Methods: A case study of a 49-year-old lady, who underwent L4-L5 total disc replacement and presented one year later with progressive back pain radiating to both lower extremities. Imaging revealed a soft tissue mass around the prosthesis. A review of the literature for similar cases has been done and reviewed., Results: Imaging revealed a soft tissue mass around the prosthesis and left hydronephrosis. CT venogram for leg swelling showed total occlusion of the left common iliac vein. CT myelogram showed compression of the cauda from the pseudotumor. The prosthesis was removed and replaced by an allograft fusion cage and plate. Intraoperatively both extremities became pulseless and bilateral common iliac arteries thrombectomy was carried out. This occurred again after closure immediately and bilaterally femoral artery exploration and thrombectomy was carried out. Histopathology showed a soft tissue with fibrinous necrosis and lymphohistiocytic inflammation., Conclusion: Soft tissue reaction and pseudotumor formation can be induced by Metal-on-Metal total disc replacement prostheses. Neurologic, vascular, and visceral complications may occur. In this case implant removal can stopped progression of the soft tissue reaction. Most patients in the literature benefit from implant removal followed by spinal fusion., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Oman and longitudinal changes in antibody levels over time within the first 11 months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic., Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted as a four-cycle serosurvey using a multi-stage stratified sampling method from July to November 2020. A questionnaire was used and included demographics, history of acute respiratory infection and list of symptoms, COVID-19 contact, previous diagnosis or admission, travel history and risk factors., Results: In total, 17,457 participants were surveyed. Thirty percent were female and 66.3% were Omani. There was a significant increase in seroprevalence throughout the study cycles, from 5.5% (4.8-6.2%) in Cycle 1 to 22% (19.6-24.6%) in Cycle 4. There was no difference in seroprevalence between genders, but significant differences were found between age groups. There was a transition of seroprevalence from being higher in non-Omanis than Omanis in Cycle 1 [9.1% (7.6-10.9%) vs 3.2% (2.6-3.9%)] to being higher in Omanis than non-Omanis in Cycle 4 [24.3% (21.0-27.9%) vs 16.8% (14.9-18.9%)]. There was remarkable variation in the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 according to governorate. Close contacts of people with COVID-19 had a 96% higher risk of having the disease [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.96, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.64-2.34]. Labourers had 58% higher risk of infection compared with office workers (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.04-2.35)., Conclusion: This study showed a wide variation in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 across governorates in Oman, with higher estimated seroprevalence in migrants in the first two cycles. Prevalence estimates remain low and are insufficient to provide herd immunity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement None declared., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The novel coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world with particularly high mortality in the elderly. Care and nursing homes have become the sites of greatest concentration of cases. We intended to review 30-day mortality of COVID-19 patients with hip fractures. This is relevant given the disease impact in this age group., Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched for relevant studies linked to mortality and morbidity in COVID-19 patients who have undergone non-elective hip surgeries using the keywords "COVID-19"OR "SARS-cov-2"OR "Coronavirus Infections"; AND "Surgery"OR "Hip"OR "Fracture"OR "Orthopedics." We included all patients with hip fractures, but excluded pathological fractures and other non-traumatic hip pathologies. Four-hundred and eighty-one articles were identified for screening, in addition to an unpublished case-series of 67 patients that have 3 cases turned positive for COVID 19, yielding a total of 50patients for the final review., Results: The study included 4 articles published until May 9th 2020 and a case-series: 26(52%) patients were females; the median age was 86years; hypertension(53.6%), diabetes mellitus type II(28.6%), and coronary artery heart disease(25%) were the most common comorbidities; 34(68%) patients had intertrochanteric hip fracture and 16(32%) patients had femoral neck fractures; 22(59.5%) patients underwent cephalomedullary nail fixation, 12(32.4%) patients had hemiarthroplasty, and for 3(8.1%) patients, the type of surgery was not documented; 20(40%) patients died(12patients died before the surgery and 8died after surgery at a median time of 3days), 29(76.3%) patients had an unremarkable course throughout hospitalization and were discharged including 1(2.6%) patient managed non-operatively, and 1(2.6%) patient was admitted to the ICU after the surgery but eventually discharged., Conclusion: COVID-19 infected elderly patients have a higher 30-days mortality rate compared to non-COVID-19 infected cases. Further studies are warranted to look at the morbidity and mortality rates in COVID-19 positive patients with hip fractures and to investigate how these outcomes can be improved., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Introduction Members of the dental profession in the UK are legally required to create and maintain patient records. In 2016, the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) published the third edition of its good practice guidelines on clinical examination and record keeping.Aim To identify a core set of items which should be recorded in three clinical situations (new patient appointment; recall appointment; emergency appointment) in primary dental care.Design Four-stage Delphi methodology.Methods Stage one: a comprehensive list of items taken from the FGDP guidance were reviewed by an expert group for relevance and clarity in relation to three scenarios (new patient appointment, recall appointment; emergency appointment). The panel was also asked to identify their perceptions of any omissions or redundancies. Stage two: following feedback of the results, the expert group again reviewed the full item list, with the addition of any items identified in stage one. Consensus was defined as 75% or more of the panel agreeing on the score for an item. Stage three: online survey of dental practitioners (N = 2,840) asking them to rate the relevance of the item pool for the same clinical scenarios. Stage four: a second expert group was formed and asked to rate the feasibility of implementing each item as 'essential' to record in primary dental care. The final list of items rated as 'essential' and feasible comprises: 21 items for new patient appointments; 17 items for recall appointments; ten items for emergency appointments.Results A high degree of consensus was found between the expert group and dental practitioners regarding those items viewed as 'essential' to be recorded across the three appointment types.Conclusions A core set of items are identified as 'essential' and feasible to be recorded for three different types of dental consultation in primary care: new patient appointment, recall and emergency appointment.

Background: Anxiety, depression and functional impairments are commonly reported by persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) but no data, to our knowledge, has emerged from an Arab Islamic population. The study aims to investigate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and related disabilities among PwMS attending tertiary care in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), one of the urban hospitals in Oman., Methods: Consecutive and consenting PwMS (n = 57) and healthy subjects (n = 53) completed the following measures: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) which was used to measure anxiety (cut-point >7) and depression (>7); and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to measure the level of disability (≥5). Characteristics such as socio-demographic and clinical variables were also explored., Results: Fifty seven subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) met the inclusion criteria. The majority of them were females who were 40 years old or younger and the majority were employed and unmarried. Approximately 86 % of the participants were using beta interferon, 96 % scored ≥5 in EDSS. MS of the Relapsing-Remitting type constituted the majority of the cohort (94 %). Approximately 35 % and 51 % endorsed symptoms of anxiety and depression respectively. The MS group scored significantly higher than controls on HADS measurements of depression and anxiety., Conclusion: Disability and symptoms of anxiety and depression are common among the PwMS attendees of tertiary care hospital in Oman. Such psychosocial variables have been largely unreported emerging from non-western populations. As these variables are strong indicators of the burden of MS, resolute effort is needed to address such psychosocial dysfunctions in the algorithms of care for PwMS in the Arab Islamic part of the world.

Objectives: Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease that is caused by acid alpha-glucosidase deficiency. Early enzyme replacement therapy can benefit infants with the disease but the diagnosis is complicated by the rarity of the disease and the heterogeneity of the clinical manifestations. In this study, DNA extracted from archival postmortem formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues was used to identify Pompe disease mutations in Oman and develop a rapid molecular-based test., Methods: Intronic primers were designed to amplify short fragments (193-454 base pairs [bp]) from coding exons (2-20) and screen for mutations using direct sequencing (DS)., Results: Two mutations known to cause severe disease were identified in two samples. One was a coding mutation, c.2560C>T (p.Arg854X), and the second was found at a splice acceptor site, c.1327-2A>G. Polymerase chain reaction- and restriction fragment length polymorphism-based tests were designed for the rapid genotyping of the identified mutations., Conclusion: These tests can facilitate prenatal diagnosis and help in identifying carriers in families with the identified mutations.

The Sultanate of Oman, faced with the potential for a population explosion that would drain national educational and economic resources, has initiated a birth spacing program which is in its fifth year of implementation at all Ministry of Health facilities. The program was developed based on data from a survey of married Omani women of childbearing age and their spouses. Success has been attributed to the inclusion of Muslim religious leaders at all stages of planning and implementation to deflect people's concern that child spacing is forbidden, and to educational outreach to men.