Multiple early introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into a global travel hub in the Middle East

International travel played a significant role in the early global spread of SARS-CoV-2. Understanding transmission patterns from different regions of the world will further inform global dynamics of the pandemic. Using data from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major international travel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-10, Vol.10 (1), p.17720-17720, Article 17720
Main Authors: Tayoun, Ahmad Abou, Loney, Tom, Khansaheb, Hamda, Ramaswamy, Sathishkumar, Harilal, Divinlal, Deesi, Zulfa Omar, Varghese, Rupa Murthy, Al Suwaidi, Hanan, Alkhajeh, Abdulmajeed, AlDabal, Laila Mohamed, Uddin, Mohammed, Hamoudi, Rifat, Halwani, Rabih, Senok, Abiola, Hamid, Qutayba, Nowotny, Norbert, Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/208
631/208/514/1949
Adult
Aged
Asia - epidemiology
Betacoronavirus - classification
Betacoronavirus - genetics
Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification
Child
Child, Preschool
Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections - virology
COVID-19
Europe - epidemiology
Female
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
multidisciplinary
Mutation
Pandemics
Phylogeny
Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis
Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral - virology
SARS-CoV-2
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
Travel
United Arab Emirates - epidemiology
Whole Genome Sequencing
Young Adult
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Summary:International travel played a significant role in the early global spread of SARS-CoV-2. Understanding transmission patterns from different regions of the world will further inform global dynamics of the pandemic. Using data from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major international travel hub in the Middle East, we establish SARS-CoV-2 full genome sequences from the index and early COVID-19 patients in the UAE. The genome sequences are analysed in the context of virus introductions, chain of transmissions, and possible links to earlier strains from other regions of the world. Phylogenetic analysis showed multiple spatiotemporal introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into the UAE from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East during the early phase of the pandemic. We also provide evidence for early community-based transmission and catalogue new mutations in SARS-CoV-2 strains in the UAE. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the global transmission network of SARS-CoV-2.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-74666-w