(1) Backgrounds and Objectives: Since its discovery, information about the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly. However, many issues remain unresolved. Coronaviruses are primarily transmitted through respiratory secretions. The possibility of transmission via donated blood transfusion deserves studying. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to look at pre-vaccination donated blood anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody content as a marker for virus transmission via viral RNA positive blood and/or the potential therapeutic value of convalescent plasma. (2) Methods: A total of 300 blood samples were sequentially collected from unvaccinated donors who donated blood to the blood bank of Prince Mutaib Bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Sakaka, Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia. Specific ELISA was used to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies. SARS-CoV-2 was detected using specific real-time reverse-transcription PCR (rRT-PCR). (3) Results: The prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was low (9%), whereas the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM was high (65%). Relevant demographics, anthropometrics, and lifestyle factors revealed significant associations (p < 0.05) between IgM-positivity only vs. age (age group 21–30 years), postgraduate education, no history of international travel, IgG-negativity, and absence of experience with COVID-19-like symptoms. Furthermore, there are significant associations (p < 0.05) between IgG-positivity only vs. age (age group 21–30 years), postgraduate education, and being a non-healthcare worker. All donors in the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive group (n = 27) had previously experienced symptoms similar to COVID-19 (p < 0.001) and most of them (n = 24) showed anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM-positive test (p = 0.006). However, all the samples tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using rRT-PCR. (4) Conclusion: Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that donated blood is safe, with the added benefit of convalescent plasma rich in potentially neutralizing IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2.

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and the third leading cause of disability after cancer and ischemic heart disease. Recognizing acute stroke symptoms and understanding its diagnosis and treatment is critical. To assess the level of awareness of Physicians about Stroke in emergency settings in the Al-Jouf Region, Saudi Arabia, and its relation to different socio-demographic factors. A cross-sectional study included 119 physicians from emergency departments in different Hospitals in Al-Jouf Region in Saudi Arabia in 2021. They were surveyed by using a validated selfadministered questionnaire. Participants were selected by using a convenient non-probability sampling technique. Data analysis was performed by using Statistical Package for Social Science. This study included 119 participants. Most of them were males and the mean age of respondents was 36.7 ±9 years (23 to 60). The mean awareness score was 17.8 ±SD 4.2 out of a total score of 28 points. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that most physicians showed a poor level of awareness about stroke (75.6%) and only 24.4% of physicians revealed a good level of awareness about stroke in ER settings. There was no significant association between the level of awareness about stroke in ER settings and the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents. The majority of physicians in different hospitals in the Al-Jouf Region in Saudi Arabia showed a poor level of awareness about stroke in ER settings. Further investigation and exploration is needed; also more strategies and interventions are required to improve health workers' knowledge and awareness of stroke.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Background: Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is a highly infectious neurotropic virus. The data on HSV-1 infection in Saudi Arabia, including the seroprevalence of HSV-1 antibodies, are scarce. Objectives: This is the first study to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HSV-1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) in donated blood in Sakaka, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 300 donated blood samples were collected from the Blood Bank of Prince Mutaib Bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Sakaka. Sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-HSV-1 IgG. A comparison of the age, gender, education, occupation, income, hand hygiene, travel history, and cupping practice of blood donors stratified for the extent of anti-HSV-1 IgG was made. Results: There was a low prevalence of anti-HSV-1 IgG (20%; n = 60/300). Moreover, 50.0% of IgG-positive participants were in the age group of 41 - 45 years, and 81.7% of the participants had a household income of < 10000 SAR (statistically highly significant; P < 0.001*). All the participants performed hand washing with soap before handling food and after using the toilet. Furthermore, IgG-positive participants had a bachelor’s degree (50.0%), were governmental employees (60.0%), were international travelers (50.0%), and practiced cupping (50.0%) with statistically significant associations (P < 0.05*). Conclusions: The current study’s findings support previous reports about the key importance of improving socioeconomic conditions and hygiene measures in reducing the spread of HSV-1. The present study provides an alarm regarding reaching the age of sexual debut without acquiring protective anti-HSV-1 immunoglobulins, consequently becoming more susceptible to acquiring HSV-1 infection through the genital route. These data support the urgent need to develop an effective anti-HSV-1 vaccine.