Background: The aim of the study was to determine the health beliefs and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among the college students of Karachi city. Methods: A survey among students of the United Medical and Dental College and non-medical students was performed from the period of October 2019 to January 2020. A validated questionnaire was used to identify the health beliefs of the subjects, related to CVD and its determinants, along with a brief medical history to determine the prevalence of risk factors. The data was analysed by using SPSS version 23. Results: Among total subjects of 140, 53 (37.8%) males and 87 (62.1%) females participated in the study. The analysis presented an adequate knowledge of CVD and its determinants among 133 (95%) of the respondents. 112 (80%) of the participants demonstrated a significantly positive attitude and supported the primary prevention of CVD. However, the practices were found optimum in 80 (60%) of the respondents only, the rest were not up to the mark. It was identified that 69% of the respondents had at least one of the risk factors leading to CVD, which is a significant proportion. Conclusion: The majority of the participants of this study were aware of the CVD and its determinants, however, the practices observed for the primary prevention of CVDs were not up to the standard. Risk factors were significantly pervasive among the participants. The findings of this survey support the need for modification of lifestyle to promote primary prevention of CVD from an early age.

Although the number of active COVID-19 cases have been fallen in some countries, the threat of the pandemic is still impending in many parts of the world and the pace of recovery is still uncertain. SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has expanded very quickly since the beginning of 2020 and has now taken approximately a million lives all around the globe. Sadly, there is yet to be an approved treatment for COVID-19 as it may take a few years to establish a definitive treatment and a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to review the preventive and curative measures currently under investigation for COVID-19 and the targeted pathogenic features of the SARS-CoV-2. To manage the clinical implications of COVID-19, and to alleviate SARS-CoV-2, the main focus is on supportive therapy, symptom control, antiviral drugs, and immunomodulation. Intense research activities for therapeutic interventions are in progress worldwide to evaluate the benefit of such drugs.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has created a worldwide crisis, raising fears and concerns regarding clinical outcomes in patients with comorbidities. Some of the highly prevalent communicable and non-communicable diseases worldwide are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis B and C, which reduce the host immune responses to concurrent acute infections. Despite over 170 million confirmed cases of COVID‐19 worldwide as of 24 June 2021, insufficient data is reporting the prognosis of HIV and SARS-CoV-2 co‐infection. This narrative review aims to present current knowledge on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on people living with HIV/AIDS, in terms of immunological responses and clinical outcome. Although some studies have been performed and are in progress to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on patients living with HIV/AIDS, controversies still exist whether COVID-19 severity and mortality are higher among this special subgroup or similar to the general population.