Scripps Research scientists identify how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in the Middle East Findings highlight biases in viral sampling and urgent need for better global health infrastructure.
August 15, 2022
LA JOLLA, CA Understanding the global transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for rapidly containing and handling the virus, especially as new variants and mutations of concern emerge. Certain regions in the world, including the Middle East and Northern Africa region, have been notoriously understudied and under-sampled. For the first time, Scripps Research scientists and collaborators unveil how the virus spreads in this region to better understand the unique ways that infectious disease threats arise and evolve in the Middle East.
The findings, published on August 15, 2022, in Nature Communications, showed that the strong regional connectivity of the Middle East drove both introduction risk and export risk of the virus events that mainly stemmed from land-based travel while air travel restrictions were in place. The discoveries highlight the importance of improved pandemic surveillance infrastructure across the entire globe, especially given that transmission dynamics have been obscured by uneven sampling.
Before the study, it wasn't entirely clear what was driving transmission dynamics in the Middle East, or how these relationships were changing over time in response to measures such as border closures and lockdowns, says Kristian Andersen, PhD, a co- author of the study and a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research. Our findings illuminate these drivers, and more importantly, the policies that will be helpful in mitigating the virus in this specific part of the world.
The study focused on Jordan, due to its central geography and tight sociopolitical, cultural and economic ties with other countries in the Middle East. From March to September 2020, Jordan banned all non-essential air travel in an effort to mitigate the viral spread, while also implementing a two-week-long quarantine for those who did enter the country.
Working hand-in-hand with Issa Abu-Dayyeh, PhD, senior author of the study and head of immunology and research at Biolab Diagnostic Laboratories in Jordan, the researchers integrated genomic, epidemiological and travel data to reveal the key drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from March 2020 to May 2021. They found that regional connectivity was a considerable driver of viral transmission, given that 85% of incoming air passengers from March to early September 2020 were from other countries in the Middle East.
Land-based travel was also a big culprit for introducing new strains of the virus into the country, especially from freight transport. While private land-based travel was limited, incoming truck volume recovered to pre-pandemic levels from July 2020 onwards suggesting this is where viral introduction stemmed from. Similarly, they also discovered that land travel drove Jordan's exportation of the virus to other surrounding countries.
However, once travel restrictions were lifted in September 2020, viral introductions were then attributed mainly to air travel once again, as evidenced by non-Middle Eastern air travel increasing from 15 to 25% of total volume.
Our findings underscore that travel restrictions centered solely around air travel are not enough to effectively curb the virus. Strategies to slow viral spread should also manage risk from land-based travel including commercial transport especially in a region as interconnected as the Middle East, says Abu-Dayyeh.
While the results were largely in line with the researchers' initial hypotheses, the findings did emphasize a stark point: the need for improved surveillance infrastructure across the world, which would help maintain public health efforts and mitigate outbreaks quickly.
Without robust efforts across all major global regions, we all become that much more vulnerable to the spread of the virus, says Edyth Parker, PhD, first author of the study and a postdoctoral associate in the Andersen lab.
Parker notes that with the world being so vulnerably connected as it is today, an equitable surveillance system is necessary to closely monitor and catch new variants as they arise. She urges that maintaining a local testing capacity is critical for following not only the virus, but other public health threats as well.
If a certain area is dependent on another for tracking transmission dynamics, that severely limits how quickly and as a result, how well we can perform our public health efforts, Parker adds.
Through the collaboration, Biolab Diagnostic Laboratories is now independently driving SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Jordan and the broader Middle East. The researchers will continue examining regional variants and immune dynamics there, as well as continue bolstering their public health response to track additional infectious diseases that pose serious threats to the world.
In addition to Andersen, Abu-Dayyeh and Parker, additional authors of the study, Regional connectivity drove bidirectional transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Middle East during travel restrictions, include Catelyn Anderson, Mark Zeller, Refugio Robles-Sikisaka, Alaa Abdel Latif, Karthik Ramesh, Ezra Kurzban, Nathaniel L. Matteson, Laura D. Hughes, Michelle McGraw and Shirlee Wohl of Scripps Research; Ahmad Tibi and Amid Abdelnour of Biolab Diagnostic Laboratories; Jennifer Havens and Joel O. Wertheim of UCSD; Genevi ve Laroche, Mehdi Benlarbi, Ardeshir Ariana and Marceline C t of the University of Ottawa; Alexander Watts and Kamran Khan of Bluedot; Abdalla Awidi of the University of Jordan; Saied A. Jaradat of Jordan University of Science and Technology; Karthik Gangavarapu and Marc A. Suchard of UCLA; Alvin X. Han of University of Amsterdam; and Emily Spencer and Laura Nichols
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) today announced a strategic new integration to deliver ...
16/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Immersive Flight for New Cirrus App
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Leader in Personal Aviation taps URSA Cin...
16/07/2026
XenData Announces LTO Archive Appliances with both File and S3 Object Storage In...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
General-purpose robots and autonomous machines are moving from research labs to ...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and iconic gaming companies, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI ...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
Scripps Research scientists identify how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in the Middle East Findings highlight biases in viral sampling and urgent need for better global health infrastructure.
