Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36691215›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

SARS-CoV-2 chronological genomic evolution and epidemiology in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as affected by vaccination, conflict and socioeconomical disparities: a population-based cohort study.

Dalia Obeid, Rawan Alnemari, Ahmed A Al-Qahtani, Madain Alsanea, Basma Alahideb, Feda Alsuwairi, Maha Abdulkarim, Fatimah S Alhamlan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Dalia ObeidGenome of Infectious Diseases Department, Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rawan AlnemariGenome of Infectious Diseases Department, Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed A Al-QahtaniDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Madain AlsaneaDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Basma AlahidebDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Feda AlsuwairiDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Maha AbdulkarimDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fatimah S AlhamlanDepartment of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia falhamlan@kfshrc.edu.sa.ORCID 0000-0003-1765-4310
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre · SAAlfaisal University · SASaudi Arabian Monetary Authority · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe the chronological genomic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on public health in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

methodsThis study analysed all available SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences, metadata and rates of COVID-19 infection from the MENA region retrieved from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data database from January 2020 to August 2021. Inferential and ‎descriptive statistics were conducted to describe the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

resultsGenomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the MENA region indicated that the variants in January 2020 predominately belonged to the G, GR, GH or O clades and that the most common variant of concern was Alpha. By August 2021, however, the GK clade dominated (57.4% of all sequenced genomes), followed by the G clade (18.7%) and the GR clade (11.6%). In August, the most commonly sequenced variants of concern were Delta in the Middle East region (91%); Alpha (44.3%) followed by Delta (29.7%) and Beta (25.3%) in the North Africa region; and Alpha (88.9%), followed by Delta (10%) in the fragile and conflict-affected regions of MENA. The mean proportion of the variants of concern among the total sequenced samples differed significantly by country (F=1.93, P=0.0112) but not by major MENA region (F=0.14, P=0.27) or by vaccination coverage (F=1.84, P=0.176).

conclusionThis analysis of the genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 provides an essential description the virus evolution and its impact on public health safety in the MENA region. As of August 2021, the Delta variant showed a genomic advantage in the MENA region. The MENA region includes several fragile and conflict-affected countries with extremely low levels of vaccination coverage and little genomic surveillance, which may soon exacerbate the existing health crisis within those countries and globally.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2Africa, NorthernCohort StudiesEvolution, MolecularGenomicsHumansMiddle EastVaccinationCOVID-19health economicshealth policy

Identifiers

PMID36691215
PMCPMC9461085
OpenAlexW4294958825

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.