ArticleBMC infectious diseases2022
Syndromic surveillance of respiratory-tract infections and hand hygiene practice among pilgrims attended Hajj in 2021: a cohort study.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical metagenomics for diagnosis and surveillance of viral pathogens.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Respiratory symptoms, vaccination coverage, and antibiotic use among Hajj pilgrims: a multi-season cross sectional study (2023-2025).Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Prevalence of cough and associated symptoms among pilgrims in large mass gathering event 2024: a cross-sectional study.IJID regions · 2025Article
- Respiratory symptom burden, vaccination coverage, and preventive health practices among Sudanese Hajj pilgrims who traveled by sea.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Exploring the prevalence of chronic diseases and health status among international Hajj pilgrims.PloS one · 2025Article
- Prevalence of and risk factors for infectious disease syndromic symptoms among pilgrimage to Arba'een mass gathering religious in 2023.New microbes and new infections · 2024Article
- Article
- Syndromic surveillance during 2022 Uganda Martyrs' commemoration.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Coronavirus and co-infections: A Saudi Arabian perspective.Saudi journal of biological sciences · 2023Review
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Moderately Low Effectiveness of the Influenza Quadrivalent Vaccine: Potential Mismatch between Circulating Strains and Vaccine Strains.Vaccines · 2023Article
- Low Prevalence of Syndromic Respiratory Tract Infections among Returning Hajj Pilgrims Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Post-Hajj Survey.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe risk of transmission of viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs) is high in mass gatherings including Hajj. This cohort study estimated the incidence of symptomatic RTIs and hand hygiene compliance with its impact among Hajj pilgrims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsDuring the week of Hajj rituals in 2021, domestic pilgrims were recruited by phone and asked to complete a baseline questionnaire. Pilgrims were followed up after seven days using a questionnaire about the development of symptoms, and practices of hand hygiene. Syndromic definitions were used to clinically diagnose 'possible' influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and COVID-19 infection.
resultsA total of 510 pilgrims aged between 18 and 69 (median of 50) years completed the questionnaire, 280 (54.9%) of whom were female, and all of them (except for one) were vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose. The mean (± SD) of pilgrims' hand hygiene knowledge score (on a scale of 0 to 6) was 4.15 (± 1.22), and a higher level of knowledge was correlated with a higher frequency of handwashing using soap and water. Among those 445 pilgrims who completed the follow-up form, 21 (4.7%) developed one or more respiratory symptoms, of which sore throat and cough were the commonest (respectively 76.2% and 42.8%); 'possible ILI' and 'possible COVID-19' were present in 1.1% and 0.9% of pilgrims. Obesity was found to be a significant factor associated with the risk of developing RTIs (odds ratio = 4.45, 95% confidence interval 1.15-17.13).
conclusionsHajj pilgrims are still at risk of respiratory infections. Further larger and controlled investigations are needed to assess the efficacy of hand hygiene during Hajj.
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