Background COVID-19 global pandemic is an unprecedented health emergency. Rapid identification and isolation of infected individuals is crucial. Qatar’s National Health Strategic Command Group adopted a cut off 30 for Ct value of RT-PCR result of a positive case to decide on duration of isolation and quarantine period for their close contacts. Aim to test if Ct value cut off 30 reflects on the infectivity potential among close contacts. Methodology all positive cases reported during July’2020 whose contacts had been traced and swabbed were extracted from database after removing personal identifiers. Close-contact was defined as anybody who has been within 2 meters distance of a confirmed positive case for 15 minutes or more, without any personal protection equipment. Descriptive analysis was done and test of significance of difference in positivity among the contacts of those with ct< 30 and >30 was done. Results 2308 COVID-19 positive cases were followed up. More than three-quarters had a Ct value<30, with a mean Ct value of 24.05(+6.48). On an average 6 contacts were swabbed per case. More than half the positive cases followed up had atleast one secondary case, with median positivity rate 12.5%. A significant relation was noted between Ct value cut-off 30 and secondary transmission (1.5 times more risk among those with Ct value<30). A significant difference was noted in median positivity rate between close contacts of positive cases with Ct value>30 or <30. Conclusion Further studies combining PCR assays, culture studies and contact tracing are needed to define which factors can be used to reliably predict the infectious status of patients with COVID-19.

Background: Many parents have poor understanding of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) and many believe in false propagations about the contents, side effects and effectiveness of vaccines. Lack of good knowledge and positive attitude about childhood immunization was believed to be the root cause for resurgence of VPDs. Aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding childhood immunization among mothers of under five children.Methods: A cross sectional study was done among mothers with at least one child in the under-five age group residing in the rural field practice area of a teaching institution. Assuming 61% mothers have good knowledge (Mangalore study) the sample size was calculated to be 235 with 20% error and 1.5 design effect. Data was collected with the help of pretested semi structured questionnaire by interviewing 15 eligible mothers from each of 16 wards. Descriptive analysis was done.Results: The average age of the participants was 27.30±5.42 years with many of them educated up to 10th grade (40.3%) and most being housewife (74.5%). Knowledge of mothers regarding the diseases that can be prevented by immunization was fairly good. But the knowledge regarding individual vaccines, their dosages and schedule were found to be low. Majority of mothers had good attitude about immunization. Immunization coverage of the locality was relatively good (87.7%). Significant relation was established between attitude and practice. Sick at the time of vaccination was the most common cause of being partially immunised (68.96%).Conclusions: Intensify the awareness classes for mothers and religious leaders on immunisation.

The 5th goal in Millennium Development Goals is "To improve maternal health". One way to achieve the target of 75% reduction in maternal mortality ratio is by improving the availability, accessibility, quality and use of services during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum 1 for treatment of complications that may arise during pregnancy and childbirth. The quality of maternal care offered by a facility is very much dependent on the resources available (general infrastructure, equipments, skilled manpower, drugs), accessibility and adherence to predefined criteria for delivery of services. 2 The Maternal and Child Health services are delivered through government run Subcentres (SC), Primary Health Centres (PHC), Community Health Centres (CHC) and Government hospitals, and through private hospitals/ clinics/ nursing homes. 3 The private health sector in India is very strong. In order to strengthen the public health system, Government of India has launched the National Rural Health Mission in 2005. 3

Waning immunity following administration of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines remains a concern for many health systems. We undertook a study to determine if recent reports of waning for severe disease could have been attributed to design-related bias by conducting a study only among those detected with a first SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used a matched case-control study design with the study base being all individuals with first infection with SARS-CoV-2 reported in the State of Qatar between 1 January 2021 and 20 February 2022. Cases were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring intensive care (hard outcome), while controls were those detected with first SARS-CoV-2 infection who recovered without the need for intensive care. Cases and controls were matched in a 1:30 ratio for the calendar month of infection and the comorbidity category. Duration and magnitude of conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care and the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one more case of COVID-19 requiring intensive care was estimated for the mRNA (BNT162b2/mRNA-1273) vaccines. Conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care was 59% (95% confidence interval (CI), 50 to 76) between the first and second dose, and strengthened to 89% (95% CI, 85 to 92) between the second dose and 4 months post the second dose in persons who received a primary course of the vaccine. There was no waning of vaccine effectiveness in the period from 4 to 6, 6 to 9, and 9 to 12 months after the second dose. This study demonstrates that, contrary to mainstream reports using hierarchical measures of effectiveness, conditional vaccine effectiveness against requiring intensive care remains robust till at least 12 months after the second dose of mRNA-based vaccines.

Background: Domestic violence has substantial public health consequences. More than one-third of women globally suffer from physical and sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner with a lifetime prevalence of 10%–69%. In India, 28.8% of the ever-married women in the reproductive age group, reported domestic violence. Although Kerala, in southern India, performs better than other Indian states on a host of human development indicators for women, 15.8% among the women in this group have ever experienced physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months, the most common perpetrator being the husband. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the ever-married women, residing in a selected area of northern Kerala, who have been married for at least 1 year. One to one structured interview was conducted with a pretested structured questionnaire by the investigator. Spousal violence was defined as proportion of ever-married women with a lifetime experience of violence perpetrated by their spouse, manifested through acts of physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence, even threat. Results: A total of 290 women were interviewed. The age of the participants ranged from 18 years to 64 years; majority were Muslims. Only 16.5% were college-educated and over 90% were homemakers. 29% reported having experienced spousal violence; with the most common being emotional violence (19%) closely followed by sexual violence (18.6%) and physical violence (14.8%). A little over one-third (39.7%) reported controlling behaviour of their husband. Age of the participant ( P = 0.019), absence of social support ( P = 0.034), employment status of husband ( P = 0.026), controlling behaviour of husband ( P < 0.001), alcohol abuse by husband ( P = 0.004) and extra-marital relationship of spouse ( P < 0.001) were found to have significant influence on spousal violence experience. Conclusion: More than a quarter of the married women in this rural setting have experienced one or the other form of violence. Recommendation: A multifaceted approach needs to be employed which takes into consideration legal measures, social sciences, women empowerment, mental health systems and educate the men to curb this menace.