Background: During the last three decades there are many viral infections emerging and re-emerge with high socio-economic and public health impacts worldwide. The Coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in China in late December 2019. Later, on 30th Jan 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has constituted the COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Objectives: To understand the epidemiological patterns and assessing potential socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 is critical and how to determine these impacts on social life is considered fundamental. Therefore, the present preliminary survey was conducted firstly to understand the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in the country, and secondly to determine the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 among Libyan population to build up strategies concerning socio-economic response by the technical team committee. arabic 16 English 86
Abdusalam Sharef Abdusalam Mahmoud(2-2021)

Aims: To determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in women from Aljalla Maternity and Gynaecology Hospital (AMGH) and to evaluate the association between the infection and potential risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at AMGH in Tripoli during the year 2012. Data on potential risk factors were collected by a structured questionnaire and results of the test. The output data of questionnaire were used to assess potential risk factors for positive outcome. All sera (n = 500) was screened against ToxoG, by using the Vidas machine automated enzyme-linked florescent immunoassay. The association between the outcome variables and its potential risk factors were screened in a multivariate analysis. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: The overall seroprevalence was estimated to be 50.8% with 95% confidence interval (CI) (46.42%–55.18%). The results revealed that T. gondii infection is highly prevalent, and eating habits (consuming raw meat and/or raw vegetables or fruits) were highly significant associated in multivariable analysis. Expectedly, a significantly [odds ratio (OR):1.712; p =
Abdusalam Sharef Abdusalam Mahmoud(1-2019)

Background: The pre-vaccination survey is considered an important tool for assessing and evaluating knowledge, attitudes and determine vaccine hesitancy. Throughout many decades the world had faced a challenge in fighting against the endemic, epidemic, and pandemic diseases that have been emerging and re-emerging special those that constitute a great potential risk on humanity’s life. Still, after more than one year and half of scientific milestones of COVID-19 pandemic, there are many countries scarifying and struggling to mitigate the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 among their societies. Objectives: Our study was conduct to address, assessing and evaluate COVID-19 vaccine literacy (VL) prior to and during the vaccination campaign in Libya. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted during April 2021 one week prior COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Libya. All relevant data was obtained and collected by online and face-to-face interview. The sampling method with an online Microsoft form questionnaire resulted in collecting only 33 valid questionnaires. Further, the survey carried out also during vaccination campaign however, any participants who had already taken the COVID-19 vaccine were not indorsed in questionnaire survey. Results: A total of 243 participants were involved in this study. The overall response rate (45.6%). This study enrolled (58.8%) and (41.2%) of participants from male and female respectively. Considering the age classes, the results revealed that (35%, 18-30 year), (43.6%, 31-50 year), (18.5%, 51-65 year) and (>65 year, 2.9%). The results revealed that, 29.2% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 25%-33.44%) of the respondents were confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, while and 70.8% (95% CI: 66.56%-75%) participants were not sure if they had contracted the virus. Regarding the recurrent COVID-19 infection, our questionnaire survey reported that, at least 5.8% (95% CI: 3.60%-7.92%) of the respondents had got infected twice by SRAS-CoV-2. Regarding the currently available COVID-19 vaccines (Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Sinovac) in the country, the vast majority (43.2%) of the participants, they would like to prefer the Sputnik V, followed by (19.3%) AstraZeneca and (2.5%) Sinovac vaccines, while (35%) of the respondents refused to be vaccinated by three of these vaccines that have been provided by the Libyan healthy authorities under the supervision of NCDC. A proximately 33% (95% CI: 28.56%-37.28%) of the respondents refused to be vaccinated due to mistrust in the vaccine safety. Clearly, the vaccine safety was the main cause for the refuse and delay time of the vaccination from the most of the population. Conclusion: Our study highlights that, the vaccine hesitancy is underestimated issue in Libya, and clearly there is misleading and misinformation about SARS-CoV-2 from unauthorized media sources. According to the metadata analysis of high efficacy, safety and successes of COVID-19 vaccines for mitigate and minimize both the case fatality rate (CFT) and transmission rate across the entire of the global, still there is a controversies around potential safety concerns of the COVID-19 vaccines. Urgently, the Libyan healthy authority needs to enforce the public health education about vaccine safety, and Libyan healthy authorities should be implement an effective vaccination strategies that complement with international standard criteria for the vaccination policy to improve the vaccination efficacy and the vaccine coverage rate. Consequently, The Libya national deployment and vaccination plan for the COVID-19 vaccine should implement National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) in every municipality for collecting and processing information, and producing periodic reports during COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Abdusalam Sharef Abdusalam Mahmoud(6-2021)