Faryal Khamis

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: Overcoming Barriers to Hesitancy in the GCC Countries

Cerebral Malaria and Multi-Organ Dysfunction Caused by Plasmodium vivax in an Adult: A case from Oman with a literature review

Cerebral malaria is a life-threatening complication most commonly associated with Plasmodium falciparum. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first documented case in Oman of a previously healthy 38-year-old Pakistani male who presented to the Emergency Department of a tertiary care hospital in 2025 with …

Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in Oman: A re-emerging threat that requires urgent, targeted and strategic preparedness

Characteristics of Pyogenic Liver Abscess

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the epidemiological, aetiological and clinical characteristics of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) occurring in Oman. The intention was to obtain the information needed for the adequate liver abscess (LA) empirical treatment. LA can develop as a complication of hepatobiliary disease …

Amebic Liver Abscess

Objectives: Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is endemic to many areas of the world. This study sought to investigate the epidemiology, presentation, laboratory tests and imaging characteristics of ALA in Oman and ultimately determine whether it is native to Oman or originated abroad. Methods: This case series study was cond …

COVID-2019 Pneumonia

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the correlation between the severity of the initial chest x-ray (CXR) abnormalities in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and the final outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Royal Hospital, Oman between mid-March and May 2020 and included pa …

Monkeypox (mpox) Outbreak: More queries posed as cases soar globally

Support for Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines for 5- to 11-Year-Old Children: Cross-sectional study of Omani mothers

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the variables that influenced a sample of Omani mothers’ support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for children. The vaccination against COVID-19 averted millions of fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, a considerable number of parents and caregivers opposed …

Antibiotic Use Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Infection (SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant) in Oman: A Single-center Retrospective Study

Objectives: To identify and evaluate the prescribing pattern of antibiotics among hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2, Omicron variant in Oman, focusing on the prevalence of antibiotic use, rates of simultaneous infection, and potential overuse. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from the electronic medi …

Low Rate of Bacterial Coinfections and Antibiotic Overprescribing During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study from Oman

Objectives: The recommended treatment for COVID-19 includes antiviral drugs, corticosteroids, immunomodulatory drugs, low molecular weight heparin, as well as antibiotics. Although COVID-19 is a viral disease, many studies indicate that antibiotics are prescribed frequently, mainly to treat suspected bacterial coinfect …

Steroid-induced Strongyloidiasis with Cholestasis Post-COVID-19 Pneumonia

The use of immunosuppressive agents has recently been raised during the COVID-19 pandemic to manage the COVID-19-induced systemic inflammatory response and improve mortality. This widespread use of steroids and other immunomodulators for severe COVID-19 diseases might pose a potential risk of reactivation of latent dis …

Antimicrobial Stewardship Opportunities: An Example from Oman

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health concern that poses a major threat to human health on a global scale. It jeopardizes the effectiveness of several life-saving treatments. The excessive use, misuse, and abuse of antimicrobials in both humans and animals are key factors contributing to AMR. Antimi …

Mothers’ Intention to Vaccinate Their Children Aged 5–11 Against COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Survey

Objectives: COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of infection hospitalization, and death. Despite the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, some caregivers are hesitant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. In this study, we explored the factors that influence Omani mothers’ intentions to vaccinate their 5 …

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Dengue Fever in a Recent Outbreak in Oman: A Single Center Retrospective-cohort Study

Objectives: Dengue fever (DF) is the most common arthropod-borne viral illness with significant public health implications that can cause severe clinical symptoms and possibly death. We sought to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients presented with DF to the Royal Hospital in a recent o …

Attitudes of Physicians and Nurses in Oman Toward Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and disapproval of the policy of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination among unvaccinated physicians and nurses in Oman. Methods: The subjects were (N = 346) unvaccinated physicians and nurses in Oman. Their demographic data and attitudes r …

COVID-19 Medical Research in Oman: A Bibliometric and Visualization Study

Objectives: To study the quantum and pattern of the COVID-19-related medical research publications that had contributions from researchers in Oman, using bibliometric analysis. Methods: Data on the COVID-19-related medical research publications with contributions from authors in Oman were sourced from the Scopus databa …

Seroconversion of COVID-19 in Frontline Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

Objectives: This research aimed to study the seroconversion among frontline staff at the highest risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infections, including emergency department, critical care, and COVID-19 isolation wards in all healthcare job categories. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study on the incidence of s …

Vaccinating our Children and Adolescents Against COVID-19

As we write this Editorial, the COVID-19 pandemic’s two-year run has cumulatively infected more than 430 million people worldwide, of whom 5.9 million died. One relief was the low infectivity rates among children and adolescents. The World Health Organization (WHO) figures indicate that between December 13, 2019 and Oc …

Agile Teams and Lean Methods in a Tertiary Care Hospital During COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: To share the experience of Agile Teams using Lean Method to facilitate improvement projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A tertiary hospital in Oman mobilized agile teams using lean methods to streamline the workflow during the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic in year 2020. Results: The collabora …

Epidemiological Risk Factors for Acquiring Severe COVID-19: Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: We aimed to determine epidemiological risk factors associated with acquiring severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients requiring hospitalization. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire comprised of six closed-ended questions to identify potential risk factors fo …