Introduction: Ever since COVID-19 was declared as a global pandemic, there has been a prevalence of misinformation circulating online on social media platforms. In order to better tackle COVID-19 it is important to determine how the general population perceive the sharing of medical information on social media platforms. Based on this, the aim of the study is to analyse the perception of Saudi Arabian Health Care Workers' (HCWs) and Non-Health Care Workers' (NHCWs) regarding the sharing and resharing of medical information, whether true or false, on social media platforms regarding COVID-19. Methods: To achieve the aim of this study, the general objective is to identify the most commonly used Social Media Platforms, determine the proportion of the Saudi Arabian population who have participated in recirculating information in those social media platforms, and to analyse their perception of medical information sharing in social media platforms. This study was conducted using a quantitative research methodology. The measurement tool used for this study was an online survey conducted using Google Survey. A 10-item questionnaire was adopted and translated to Arabic to conduct the survey. Results: The total number of responses for the study were N=1249. The findings of the study indicate that Saudi Arabian general population understand the prevalence of unverified information, but are accepting of the practice of sharing information without evidence on social media platforms, with the belief that such information does not cause actual harm to the general public, but instead would be beneficial. WhatsApp was the most preferred social media platform for receiving and sharing information among participants, followed by Twitter and Snapchat. Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that the Saudi Arabian population are more wary than the global general population regarding misinformation online on social media platforms regarding COVID-19.

This research work was carried out under the assumption that wastes generated from hospitals in Irbid, Jordan were hazardous. The hazardous and non-hazardous wastes generated from the different divisions in the three hospitals under consideration were not separated during collection process. Three hospitals, Princess Basma hospital (public), Princess Bade'ah hospital (teaching), and Ibn Al-Nafis hospital (private) in Irbid were selected for this study. The research work took into account the amounts of solid waste accumulated from each division and also determined the total amount generated from each hospital. The generation rates were determined (kilogram per patient, per day; kilogram per bed, per day) for the three hospitals. These generation rates were compared with similar hospitals in Europe. The evaluation suggested that the current situation regarding the management of these wastes in the three studied hospitals needs revision as these hospitals do not follow methods of waste disposals that would reduce risk to human health and the environment practiced in developed countries. Statistical analysis was carried out to develop models for the prediction of the quantity of waste generated at each hospital (public, teaching, private). In these models number of patients, beds, and type of hospital were revealed to be significant factors on quantity of waste generated. Multiple regressions were also used to estimate the quantities of wastes generated from similar divisions in the three hospitals (surgery, internal diseases, and maternity).

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Introduction: Herbal medicine is a common method for symptom relief and treatment because of its ample availability and lack of regulation on its prescription. However, herbal use is associated with adverse effects, drug interaction, and sometimes life-threatening complications. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, people shifted toward herbs when modern medical field failed to discover a treatment or immunization early in the course of the disease. Based on expert consensus, herbal medicine was recommended in Eastern countries, although trials were still ongoing. Methods: A descriptive web-based anonymous survey was created and distributed online all-over Saudi Arabia to gather information on commonly used herbs, knowledge, and attitude towards them among general population (GP) and health care workers (HCWs).Results: Although natural product use was high among GPs, both groups used similar herbs, reflecting cultural tradition and beliefs. However, GPs show better knowledge and attitude about herbal medicine than HCWs. Conclusion: Mental exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of medicine-based evidence might influence HCW’s trust and knowledge on herbal medicine. Therefore, research and educational courses on herbal medicine for all medical practitioners are needed for proper counseling, thereby reducing risk and ensuring patient safety.

Background and Aim: Students’ perception of the educational environment is an important factor that affects the learning process in educational programs. Theories have offered support that the learning place affects a student’s academic achievement, performance, and future career markedly. Assessment of students’ satisfaction with and perception of their learning environment is an important indicator in most universities and institutions. This study aimed to evaluate the perception of the learning environment of medical undergraduates and interns at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) and compare between the old and reformed curriculum participants. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine at UQU, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 390 medical undergraduates and interns from the College of Medicine were invited to complete the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure questionnaire in the form of an online survey. Results: A total of 390 medical undergraduates and interns completed the survey (response rate: 30.95%). Interns had higher mean DREEM scores than undergraduates; this difference was not significant (172±25 vs. 171±18; P=.974). The mean score percentage for the perception of teachers was 73.2% for interns compared with 72.1% for undergraduates. Perception of ambiance subscale received the lowest mean score percentage among all participants. Conclusion: Medical undergraduates and interns perceived the learning environment at the College of Medicine of UQU positively. Areas of weakness should be addressed to improve and develop the educational environment at our university.