To determine how long antibodies against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus persist, we measured long-term antibody responses among persons serologically positive or indeterminate after a 2012 outbreak in Jordan. Antibodies, including neutralizing antibodies, were detectable in 6 (86%) of 7 persons for at least 34 months after the outbreak.

In April 2012, an outbreak of acute respiratory illness occurred in a public hospital in Zarqa city, in Jordan; 8 health care workers were among the 11 people affected, 1 of who later died. The cause of the outbreak was unknown at the time and an epidemiological investigation including laboratory testing carried out immediately after the outbreak was inconclusive. Following the discovery of novel coronavirus infection (nCoV) in the Arabian peninsula in September 2012, stored respiratory and serum samples of patients from this outbreak were retested and the diagnosis of nCoV was confirmed in 2 deceased patients. This paper describes the epidemiological findings of retrospective investigation carried out in November 2012 and highlights the likelihood of nosocomial transmission of nCoV infection in a health-care setting. A total of 2 laboratory-confirmed and 11 probable cases were identified from this outbreak of whom 10 were HCWs and 2 were family members of cases. ‫االستعادية‬ ‫للتقصيات‬ ‫الوبائية‬ ‫النتائج‬

We conducted an epidemiologic investigation among survivors of an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Jordan. A second-trimester stillbirth occurred during the course of an acute respiratory illness that was attributed to MERS-CoV on the basis of exposure history and positive results of MERS-CoV serologic testing. This is the first occurrence of stillbirth during an infection with MERS-CoV and may have bearing upon the surveillance and management of pregnant women in settings of unexplained respiratory illness potentially due to MERS-CoV. Future prospective investigations of MERS-CoV should ascertain pregnancy status and obtain further pregnancy-related data, including biological specimens for confirmatory testing.

We characterized Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses from a hospital outbreak in Jordan in 2015. The viruses from Jordan were highly similar to isolates from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, except for deletions in open reading frames 4a and 3. Transmissibility and pathogenicity of this strain remains to be determined.

Background: This case series assessed the clinical outcomes and characteristics of barotrauma in COVID19 patients. Methods:The electronic medical records of all patients admitted with confirmed COVID 19 infection who eventually developed barotrauma between March 17 th , 2020 and April 17 th , 2020 were reviewed, information about patient characteristics, pattern and characteristic of barotrauma were analyzed and reported in a descriptive manner.Results: 25 patients developed evidence of barotrauma on Chest Xray or Computed tomography (CT) with a mean age of 60.1 at the time of diagnosis, 12 (48%) developed severe ARDS with PaO2/FiO2 ratio of <100. 14 (56%) patients developed pneumothorax, 7 had evidence of subcutaneous emphysema and 6 developed pneumomediastinum. More barotrauma occured in the first day of ventilation than any other day, the median time between mechanical ventilation and development of barotrauma is 3.5 days. Conclusion:Barotrauma in COVID 19 is associated with an increased mortality (64%) which may reflect worse acute lung injury in these cases. The median time to develop barotrauma in these patients is similar to the one described in ARDs literature.

The study concluded that the prevalence of HCV infection in the population recruited from different health centers in Jordan is relatively low and estimates a prevalence of 0.42% among all age groups and 0.56% among those aged >15 years old.

During the 5-day Eid Al Adha holiday, Aqaba is the site of one of the largest mass gatherings in Jordan. Public health concerns during this holiday included: food-and waterborne diseases, drowning, injuries by marine creatures, road traffic crashes, and pressure on emergency departments at hospitals. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Aqaba during the period 16-20 November 2010 and aimed to identify and prioritize the major public health risks and to overview the preparedness plans of the Health Directorate during previous Eid events in Aqaba. All related stakeholders participated in the study. An exploratory visit to Aqaba was made and an introductory workshop was conducted for participants. Relevant data were collected and compared with the figures for the week prior to the event. No food poisoning outbreaks were reported during the event. There was a 23% increase in emergency department attendance, a 33% increase in hospital admissions, and road traffic crashes increased by more than 300%. More males were affected than females.

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