COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation ( p -value <0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohols and alcohols-based materials were associated with skin effects (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87–2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye effects (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74–1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90–2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). The use of sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine also had a high chance of having respiratory effects. The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics especially when they are used or overused. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-023-27197-6.

Background: Circular RNAs are a type of closed non-coding RNAs, lack the terminating 5'-cap and 3'-polyadenylated tail structures that present in linear RNAs. They have higher biological stability because of their resistance to RNA exonucleases and in some tissues; their expression levels are ten times higher than other types of RNA. CircRNAs act as biomarkers for various diseases including diabetes mellitus as they have been found to affect insulin secretion and β-cell renewal. Objective: to investigate the role of circRNA (0054633) as a biomarker for pre-diabetes and T2DM. Subjects & Methods: A total number of 149 subjects, selected from endocrinology unit of Internal Medicine Department, and Munshaat Su ltan Family Medicine Clinic Menoufia university hospital, classified into three groups : group I were 55 T2DM patients, group II were 44 pre-diabetics and group III including 50 healthy subjects. Expression profile of circRNA (0054633) in plasma of the studied subjects was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). Results: CircRNA (0054633) expression was significantly increased gradually from controls to the pre-diabetes group to the T2DM group (p<0.05).The sensitivity of CircRNA (0054633) expression for prediction of diabetes and prediabetes at cutoff point (2.95 ,1.95) was (92.7%, 77.3%) respectivily and the specificity was (98% and 98.6%) respectivily. The most significant pedictors for pre-diabetes were CircRNA (0054633) expression and BMI, OR (59.8, 24.9 respectivily). Conclusion: Plasma CircRNA (0054633) expression could be considered as a predictive and diagnostic biomarker for pre-diabetes and T2DM.

Background: Nutrition for the children with special needs is a complex concern where the altered nutritional needs, physical problems, and behavioral issues are the sequence of reciprocal causes that influence each other. Objective: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of the children with special needs based on anthropometric measures and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 208 children (aged from 6 to 14 years old, 92 males and 116 females) from 2 special needs children schools in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. The included children were classified into 2 age groups (6-<11 years old) and (11-≤14 years old). Sociodemographic history, type of disability, weight of mother at delivery were obtained from the caregivers. The nutritional status of the studied children was evaluated based on anthropometric measurements according to standard WHO Z scoring procedures and Hb levels (g/dl). Results: Down syndrome represented the highest proportion of the studied participants (23.3%), followed by ADHD (16.3%). In accordance with the WHO child growth standard, 16.3% of the studied children were underweight and 46.2% were severely stunted. Regarding BMI, 24% of the participants were at risk for overweight, 11.5% were at risk for obesity, and 7.7% were severely wasted. There was a high statistically significant difference between type of disability and BMI. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between BMI, socioeconomic status, and mother's weight at delivery. Besides, the mean Hb level was significantly lower in underweight females in the 11-≤14 years old age group. Conclusion. Malnutrition is a prevalent problem in children with special needs. Type of disability, socioeconomic status, and mother's weight during pregnancy are strongly related to malnutrition in these children.

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study through an electronic questionnaire. Results implied that detergents (67%), alcohol-based materials (56%), and chlorinated compounds (32%) were the most commonly used types of sanitizers and disinfectants. Most frequently reported health issues include skin complications 48.8% and respiratory complications 29.8%. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds with all possible health complications under investigation (p-value < 0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate regression analysis showed that alcohols-based materials were associated with skin complications (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87–2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye complications (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74–1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90–2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological complications (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics.

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