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Introduction: Severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) among pilgrims continues to be an important healthcare issue. The aim of this study was to describe the viral aetiology of patients admitted to hospitals in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah during the 2022 peri-Hajj period. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients admitted to hospitals with SARI. Patients were tested with multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the most common viral aetiologies. Results: In total, 179 cases of SARI were identified during the study period. Of these, 101 (56.4%) were males, 78 (43.6%) were females, and 78 (43.6%) were Saudi. The mean age was 58.60 years (standard deviation 20.5) years. The most common age group was ≥65 years (n=68, 36%), followed by 55-59 years (n=37, 19%). The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (n=67, 36%), hypertension (n=65, 35%) and chronic lung disease (n=34, 18%). Eighty-five (47.5%) patients tested negative and 94 (42.5%) tested positive for various viral aetiologies. The most frequently detected viruses were severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) (n=28, 15%) and influenza (n=22, 12%); of the influenza cases, 16 were influenza A (6 (43%) were H3N2), and six were influenza B. The only case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was in a citizen, and none of the visitors or residents had MERS-CoV. Of the total cases, 27 (14%) died during the follow-up period. In a binary regression analysis, only age was associated with mortality (P=0.002). Conclusion: The most commonly detected viruses among patients admitted to hospital with SARI were SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. It is important to continue surveillance of admitted and non-admitted patients in different Hajj periods to identify any shift in the aetiologic agents.

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Food businesses, such as food trucks (FTs) and family producers have grown rapidly and become popular with people in Saudi Arabia. As foodborne diseases are still a public health concern in the country, consumers should be aware of the safety of foods sold by food trucks. Since there is a dearth of literature, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of consumers of food from FTs owned by family producers regarding food safety and foodborne disease. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 921 consumers of food from FTs from two cities in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire from September to November 2021. Finally, multiple linear regression and a logistic regression model were used to identify the predictors of knowledge and attitude regarding food safety and foodborne illness, respectively. Overall, respondents had moderate knowledge and higher positive attitudes regarding food safety and foodborne illness. Respondents' knowledge about the potential harm and attitudes towards the safety of foods sold by FTs were significantly associated with marital status, education level, and monthly family income. The findings of this study highlight the need to improve the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of Saudi consumers of food from FTs owned by family producers on food safety and foodborne illness through intervention programs, particularly targeting consumers with lower educational attainments and income status, to control foodborne diseases.

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BACKGROUND: Social media are increasingly being used by young adults worldwide. The question is whether they can be successfully incorporated into health programmes to promote physical activity. AIMS: To measure the effect of a WhatsApp-based intervention for promoting physical activity among female college students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial from November 2019 to January 2020 included 110 students. The intervention group received a brief orientation on exercise and up to 4 physical activity promotion messages per week via WhatsApp for 10 weeks. The messages were obtained from the websites of the US Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization (WHO). Physical activity was assessed at baseline and at 10-weeks' follow-up using the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. RESULTS: The 2 groups were similar in sociodemographic and baseline physical activity levels. Postintervention data analysis revealed significant improvement in the proportion of participants with moderate-intensity physical activity in the work and recreation domains. Compared with the control group, mean metabolic equivalents/week of the intervention group improved significantly. The mean difference in total physical activity before and after intervention was significant in all domains and in all categories of activity. The proportion of participants who met the WHO criteria for minimum physical activity per week increased from 69.8% to 90.5% after intervention. CONCLUSION: Social-network-based interventions improve physical activity and may be incorporated into youth-targeted health programmes.

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