The Role of Lebanon in the COVID-19 Butterfly Effect: The B.1.398 Example

• DOI: 10.3390/v14081640
• Publication Date: 2022-07-29T05:41:16Z
• Authors: Dalal Nour; Rayane Rafei; Alessandra P. Lam...; Luiz G. P. de Alm...; Marwan Osman; Mohamad Bachar Is...; Hassan Mallat; Atika Berry; Gwendolyne Burfin; Quentin Semanas; Laurence Josset; Hamad Hassan; Fouad Dabboussi; Bruno Lina; Philippe Colson; Ana Tereza R. Vas...; Monzer Hamze
• Keywords: Pandemic; Lineage (genetic); 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

In the present study, we provide a retrospective genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Lebanon; newly sequence viral genomes 200 nasopharyngeal samples collected between July 2020 and February 2021 from patients different regions Lebanon travelers crossing Lebanese-Syrian border, also analyze Lebanese dataset available at GISAID. Our results show that infections during this period were shaped by turnovers four dominant lineages, with B.1.398 being first to thoroughly dominate. acted as dispersal center other countries, intercontinental transmissions more common than within-continent. Within country, district Tripoli, which was source 43% total sequences our identified an important country. conclusion, findings exemplify butterfly effect, lineage emerges small area can be spread around world, highlight potential role developing countries emergence new variants.