Background As the prevalence of COVID-19 recovery cases increased, patients started to notice new symptoms after being cured of the acute infection. We aimed to study the type of persistent symptoms post-COVID-19 infection, their prevalence, and factors that play a role in developing the post-COVID-19 symptoms among COVID-19 patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from the period of September 2021 to December 2021. Participants were contacted via a phone interview. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, and p-values of ≤0.05 were considered significant. Results A total of 327 participants completed the study, of which 169 (51.7%) were male. Nearly half of the patients, 161 (49.09%), had persistent symptoms. The most common symptoms were loss of smell, loss of taste, cough, and fatigue (22.6%, 19.2%, 11.6%, and 9.1% respectively). They were followed by an equal percentage of shortness of breath, headache, and hair loss (7.3%). Gender was found to be significant in loss of smell, loss of taste, and hair loss, with p-values of 0.016, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively. Conclusion A large proportion of patients with COVID-19 developed persistent symptoms. The most common symptoms were loss of smell and taste, cough, and fatigue. Some factors played a role in acquiring post-COVID-19 symptoms, including gender and place of treatment. Gender was significantly associated with hair loss. Follow-up after recovery is required to maintain individual well-being.

Background The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria threatens the control of infectious diseases by reducing treatment effectiveness, prolonging illness duration, and increasing healthcare costs. This study aimed to identify the common rate of bacterial resistance against antibacterial agents in tertiary healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Methodology This retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May 2016 to December 2019 on 1,151 urinary tract infection (UTI) and respiratory tract infection (RTI) positive cultures collected from participants aged 15 years or older who received antibiotic treatment. The obtained variables included age, gender, diagnosis, antibiotic type, specimen source, culture results, and sensitivity test results. Results The most common bacteria in UTI were Escherichia coli (46.7%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (30.5%). Moreover, E. coli was most resistant to ampicillin (56.4%), followed by ceftriaxone (33.8%). Among the respiratory cultures, the most frequently isolated pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28.5%), followed by K . pneumoniae (17.6%). The 162 respiratory P . aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam (51.9%), followed by ciprofloxacin (25%) and ampicillin (10.6%). Conclusion High levels of antibiotic resistance were observed in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. This indicates a need for better implementation of antibacterial stewardship and increased awareness of appropriate antibiotic use to limit the rapid spread of antibacterial resistance.

Background: Tissue engineering involves using different types of stem cells. One of the roadblocks in tissue engineering is the scant supply of stem cells. The potential use of human umbilical cord peri-vascular Cells (HUCPVCs) has recently been considered as an important cell source for tissue engineering applications. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on HUCPVCs. Materials and methods:HUCPVCs were divided into two groups: treatment group which received 30 mW/cm 2 LIPUS for 10 minutes (1, 7, and 14 days) and control group which received sham treatment. The study groups were evaluated for cell count, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, DNA-content, gene expression, and immunophenotype.Results: There was no significant differences in cell count, ALP, DNA-content, and CD-90 between LIPUS and control groups. A significantly higher expression of OSP and PCNA was observed on day 14 in LIPUS treatment group.Conclusion: LIPUS application for 10 minutes per day for 14 days enhanced OSP and PCNA expression without significant increase in cell count of HUCPVCs. Future research may aim at exploring different LIPUS applications (different time and frequency) to optimize HUCPVCs proliferation.

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