The following digest summarizes the most important scholarly and policy publications, reports, and articles covering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the politics, economies, and societies of the Arab world. Mofeed Digest is produced by Mofeed Project Coordinator Serage Amatory.
[MENA | Algeria | Bahrain | Egypt| Iraq| Jordan| Lebanon| Morocco| Oman|
Palestine| Qatar| Saudi Arabia| Sudan| Syria| Tunisia| UAE| Yemen]
MENA
Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination in a Sample of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Houston Residents
PLOS Global Public Health, 1 February 2023
This article identifies predictors of COVID-19 vaccination in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) origin residents in Houston, Texas.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Prevalence and Perception of Telehealth Use in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Survey Study
JMIR Formative Research, 2 February 2023
This article assesses the prevalence of telehealth use in the MENA region before and during the COVID-19 pandemic by using social media (Instagram) as an online platform for survey administration across different countries simultaneously.
Chinese Vaccine Diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean: Continuities and Rupture in Beijing’s Soft Power Prospects
Contemporary Review of the Middle East, 6 February 2023
This article examines China’s vaccine drive in the Eastern Mediterranean countries of Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic from a soft-power angle.
Orphans in Syria and Iraq Juggling Balls: Wars, COVID-19, and the NGO’s Financial Crisis
International Journal of Qualitative Evaluates on Health and Well-being, 6 February 2023
This article examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial crises on Iraqi and Syrian orphaned children and their mothers. It discusses their struggles across different themes: financial crisis, low educational attainment, child labor, mental health issues, violence, and social problems.
Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic in Consociational Systems: The Cases of Lebanon and Iraq
The International Spectator, 17 February 2023
This article analyzes comparatively the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq and Lebanon to contribute to the debate over how consociational power-sharing works in practice as a fine-grained system to maintain the status quo.
The Role of Liquidity Creation in Managing the COVID-19 Banking Crisis in Selected MENA Countries
International Journal Financial Evaluates, 24 February 2023
This article evaluates the effectiveness of liquidity creation as a main force, in conjunction with other performance predictors such as efficient asset management, asset quality, and bank size, on bank financial performance during the COVID-19 financial crisis in 11 MENA countries.
Medical Waste Generation During COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected Member Countries of Arabian Gulf Region; Google Trend Analysis
Arab Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 24 February 2023
This article investigates through Google Trends the popularity of the medical waste issue during the COVID-19 pandemic in 5 GCC countries (Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain) by using relative search volume to associate it with the quantities of waste generated.
Algeria
Moodle in the Algerian EFL Context During COVID-19: Exploring Students’ Attitudes and Academic Achievements
Arab World English Journal, 8 February 2023
This article explores students’ attitudes toward the inclusion of the Moodle platform in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking EFL students at Saida University in Algeria as a case study.
Intelligent Health Care and Diseases Management System: Multi-Day-Ahead Predictions of COVID-19
Mathematics, 19 February 2023
This article employs the TDGRU model to predict the number of daily and total infected cases, death cases and recovered cases in Algeria for forecasting the short-term incidence and severity of COVID-19.
Association Between ABO blood Groups, Rhesus and SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Severe COVID-19 Disease in a Population of Western Algeria
Archives of Medical Science – Aging, 27 February 2023
This article evaluates a cohort of Algerian patients infected with COVID-19 to determine whether there is a correlation between blood types, rhesus, and the disease, as well as its severity.
Bahrain
Evaluation of Patients’ Satisfaction with the Transition of Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinics to Teleconsultation During COVID-19 Pandemic
Telemedicine and E-Health, 6 February 2023
This article evaluate patients’ and caregivers’ satisfaction with newly developed teleconsultation services at the internal medicine outpatient clinics at a tertiary university hospital in Bahrain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Egypt
Developing a Mortality Risk Prediction Model Using Data of 3663 Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study in an Egyptian University Hospital.
BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 7 February 2023
This article assesses the incidence of in-hospital COVID-19 mortality at Ain-Shams University Hospitals in Egypt and to develop a simple and clinically applicable model for its prediction.
Impact of COVID-19 on Youth’s Mental Health in Egypt
Journal of Public Health Research, 8 February 2023
This article assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the youth in Egypt by surveying 412 respondents aged between 15 and 30 years.
COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Acceptance Among Female Medical and Nursing Students at Al-Azhar University, Egypt
Infection and Drug Resistance, 21 February 2023
This article examines the perception of female medical and nursing students at Al-Azhar University in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines and the factors acting either as motivators or barriers to vaccination.
COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage in Egypt: A Large-Scale National Survey – To Help Achieving Vaccination Target, March-May, 2022
BMC Public Health, 27 February 2023
This article reports the findings of a nationwide community-based survey by the Egyptian Ministry of Population and Health to determine COVID-19 vaccine coverage and people’s perceptions of vaccination, in order to improve vaccination uptake and confidence among Egyptians, as well as set priorities for intervention.
Mental Health, Risk Perception, and Coping Strategies among Healthcare Workers in Egypt During the COVID-19 Pandemic
PLOS One, 27 February 2023
This article assesses the psychological distress, anxiety, depression, coping strategies, risk perception, and attitude toward interprofessional teamwork among Egyptian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iraq
Stress and Coping among Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sulaimanya City in Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research, 4 February 2023
This article examines levels of stress and coping methods among the elderly in Sulaimanya city in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PTSS in COVID-19 Survivors Peritraumatic Stress Symptoms among COVID-19 Survivors in Iraq
Current Psychology, 9 February 2023
This article explores peritraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of COVID-19 in Iraq.
Examination of the Ocular Inflammatory Effects After COVID-19 vaccine
Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 11 February 2023
This study from Al-Ayen University in Iraq investigates the inflammatory side effects of COVID-19 vaccination.
Oro-Facial Manifestations of COVID-19 Infection in a Sample of Iraqi People
Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 13 February 2023
This article examines the prevalence of oral symptoms amongst COVID-19 patients due to the disease’s aggressive nature and diverse symptomatology and to assess the impact of oral health conditions on COVID-19 disease severity in a sample of Iraqi people.
Danger Zone or Newfound Freedoms: Exploring Women and Girls’ Experiences in the Virtual Space During COVID-19 in Iraq
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 February 2023
This article examines women and girls’ experiences in the digital space during COVID-19 in Iraq, including the benefits and risks of engagement as well as how access to the digital space was controlled.
Oral Manifestations Associated with COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study of Recovered Iraqi Patients
International Journal of Dentistry, 17 February 2023
This article examines the prevalence of oral manifestations related to COVID-19 infection among a sample of recovered patients in the Basrah province of Iraq.
Knowledge, Perception, and Reporting Practices of Healthcare Providers about Adverse Events Following the COVID-19 Vaccination in Iraq (Conference Paper)
Iraqi Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18 February 2023
This article assesses the knowledge, perceptions, and practice of healthcare practitioners in Iraq about reporting adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, and their association with sociodemographic variables.
Using Time-Driven Benchmarking for Measuring Health Services Performance under COVID-19 Pandemic
International Journal of Professional Business Review, 20 February 2023
This article evaluates methods to analyze time-driven benchmarking for measuring health services performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in two Iraqi hospitals.
Jordan
Factors Influencing Online Shopping During Fear of COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan: A Conceptual Framework
The Effect of Information Technology on Business and Marketing Intelligence, 9 February 2023
This article presents a theoretical framework comprising trust, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, and fear of complexity in online shopping among Jordanian consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Multi-Sectorial Needs Assessment During COVID-19 in Jordan, November 2021
International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies, 18 February 2023
This report presents a needs assessment of all 12 Jordanian governorates during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how the needs were impacted, what potential new needs have emerged during the COVID-19 era, and ensuring that the essential basic needs of vulnerable households across the Kingdom are maintained.
Drivers of Educational Inequality in Jordan During the Pandemic
Economic Research Forum, 21 February 2023
This working paper demonstrates how the interaction between the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures and the digital divide contributed to greater educational inequality in Jordan, making it harder for children in poor families to break the intergenerational transmission of inequality.
Investigating the Factors Affecting the Intention to Adopt Cloud-Based ERP Systems During the COVID-19 Era: Evidence from Jordan
Business Process Management Journal, 28 February 2023
This article investigate the intentions to adopt cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in Jordan, by combining the model of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, in addition to looking at COVID-19 as a moderating variable.
Kuwait
Coping Strategies to Overcome Psychological Distress and Fear During COVID-19 Pandemic in Kuwait
Middle East Current Psychology, 1 February 2023
This article to investigates coping strategies and the factors associated with psychological distress and fear among adults in Kuwait during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changing Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence: A Snapshot among the General Population in Kuwait
Vaccines, 2 February 2023
This article examines pre-vaccination and post-vaccination seroprevalences of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Kuwait and to compare antibody levels between vaccine types.
Determinants of Accounting Remote Learning Performance: Evidence from Kuwait in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of Education for Business, 14 February 2023
This article investigates the influence of select factors on the remote learning performance of accounting students at a business college in Kuwait during COVID-19.
Lebanon
The Under Investigated Facet of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Molecular Analysis of Secondary Bacterial Infections at a COVID Dedicated Intensive Care Unit within a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon
Frontiers in Medicine, 1 February 2023
This article examines the prevalence of secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients admitted at a tertiary medical center in Lebanon.
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Health Care Workers in Lebanon
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 3 February 2023
This article assesses COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in Lebanon and identifies barriers, demographic differences, and the most trusted sources of COVID-19 information.
A 1-year Analysis of Adverse Events following COVID-19 Vaccination in Lebanon: A Retrospective Study
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 21 February 2023
This article analyzes AEFIs (adverse events following immunization) following COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sputnik, and Sinopharm) during the vaccination campaign in Lebanon, correlates them with age and gender and correlates Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines’ AEFI with the dose administered.
Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Pneumonia in Critical COVID-19 Patients
Scientific Reports, 28 February 2023
This article examines the prevalence and risk factors of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Pneumonia in critical COVID-19 patients at the ICU department of Hôtel-Dieu de France (HDF) University Hospital in Beirut.
Knowledge Gap Hypothesis and Pandemics: COVID-19 Knowledge, Communication Inequality, and Media Literacy in Lebanon
Media and Communication, 28 February 2023
This article examines the knowledge gap hypothesis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon as it experiences severe social, political, and economic turmoil and inequality. The author assesses COVID-19 knowledge through 13 variables and incorporates income, education, gender, and media literacy among the socioeconomic status variables.
Morocco
How Physicians in a Moroccan Tertiary Care Center Perceive Teleconsultation During COVID-19 Pandemic?
Telemedicine and E-Health, 6 February 2023
This article assesses the knowledge, perceptions, and acceptability of teleconsultation among Moroccan physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Analyzing The Impact of COVID-19 on the Moroccan Job Market by Mining Job Ads
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 16 February 2023
This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Moroccan job market, focusing on the sectors and occupations affected the most.
A New Sentiment Analysis Method to Detect and Analyse Sentiments of COVID-19 Moroccan Tweets Using a Recommender Approach
Multimedia Tools and Applications, 22 February 2023
This article proposes a new sentiment analysis approach to detect sentiments in Moroccan tweets related to COVID-19 using the advantages of recommendation systems for classifying each tweet into three classes: positive, negative, or neutral.
Evaluation of Moroccan Medical Students’ Experience of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 28 February 2023
This article evaluate Moroccan medical students’ perceptions of medical online learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and to list its probable related advantages and barriers.
Oman
The Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Competence
International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 1 February 2023
This article evaluates how COVID-19 affected the digital competence of a group of preservice teacher education students at a higher education institution in the Sultanate of Oman by examining students’ digital profiles in five areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem-solving.
Omani Students’ Satisfaction with Independent Learning Tools During COVID-19
Arab World English Journal, 9 February 2023
This article examines the extent to which Omani students were satisfied with independent learning tools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Dental Patients Attending Oman Dental College Towards Cross-Infection Control During the Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Survey
Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 11 February 2023
This article assesses the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dental patients in Oman regarding the means of transmission of COVID-19 and highlights the need to educate patients on cross-infection control procedures.
Optic Neuritis following COVID-19 Vaccination
Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, 20 February 2023
This article reports on the likelihood of a significant but uncommon complication of optic neuritis following COVID-19 vaccination.
Correlation of Viral Load With the Biochemical and Hematological Profiles of COVID-19 Patients in Al Buraimi Hospital, Sultanate of Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study
Cureus, 20 February 2023
This article examines how laboratory markers can help in determining COVID-19 disease severity, such as ferritin and ALT, which were the highest in the initial stage of COVID-19 infection and decreased during the recovery stage.
Palestine
How Remote Leaning During Crisis Affect Technostress Levels Experienced by Academicians
Education and Information Technologies, 13 February 2023
This study examines the level and factorial structure of technostress among 573 Palestinian academicians who worked under multi-fold crises such as occupation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qatar
Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Healthcare Workers in Qatar
Journal of Infection and Public Health, 1 February 2023
This article examines the effectiveness of influenza vaccination, using Abbott’s quadrivalent Influvac Tetra vaccine, against SARS-CoV-2 infection and against severe COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia
Challenges and Issues of Public Education in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19: Review Paper
Creative Education, 1 February 2023
This article investigates how COVID-19 impacted higher education in the KSA by highlighting the challenges faced by this sector and identifying the best strategies to address these challenges.
Diabetic Care Challenges During COVID-19 Pandemic: Primary Healthcare Physicians’ Perspective
World Family Medicine, 1 February 2023
This article assesses diabetes-care challenges from the perspective of primary care physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
The Effect of Online Learning on the Psychological State of Medical Students During COVID-19 at a public Saudi University
World Family Medicine, 1 February 2023
This article examines the impact of online learning on the psychological state of medical students at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) in Riyadh during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Types and Sources of Social Support Accessible to University Students with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Healthcare, 6 February 2023
This article investigates how university students with disabilities face an increased risk of experiencing negative implications in educational, psychological, and social spheres during the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses various dimensions of social support available to them in Saudi Arabia.
What Motivated Residents of Saudi Arabia to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Frontiers in Public Health, 7 February 2023
This article examines the motivating factors for people living in Saudi Arabia with regard to accepting the COVID-19 vaccine, especially in light of previous research documenting general vaccine hesitancy in the Kingdom.
Assessing the Adverse Effects of COVID-19 Vaccine in Different Scenarios in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Medical Journal, 11 February 2023
This article assesses the different side effects of COVID-19 vaccines at different scenarios in Saudi Arabia.
Acceptability and Effectiveness of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Applications: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia of the Tawakkalna Application
Cureus, 15 February 2023
This article examines user acceptability of contact tracing applications and evaluates the safety and privacy effectiveness of the COVID-19 contact tracing application in KSA, the Tawakkalna application.
Sentiment Analysis of COVID‐19 Vaccination in Saudi Arabia
International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, 20 February 2023
This article investigates public perceptions about the COVID‐19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia during specific events by analyzing sentiments gleaned from Twitter data.
Pattern of Self-Reported Adverse Events Related to COVID-19 Vaccines in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Study
Frontiers in Public Health, 23 February 2023
This article examines major and minor AEs (adverse events) among individuals in Saudi Arabia who were vaccinated against COVID-19.
Factors Affecting Job Stress among Physical Therapists During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Electronic Journal of General Medicine, 25 February 2023
This article assesses the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) adopted by physical therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia and to explore its impact on their job stress.
COVID-19 Pandemic Shopping Experience in Saudi Arabia: Scale Development and Validation for Muslim Customers
Journal of Islamic Marketing, 28 February 2023
This article seeks to propose a valid and reliable scale to document the COVID-19 Pandemic Shopping Experience (CPSE) in Saudi Arabia and to determine the impact of its variables on the post purchase shopping experience (PPSE).
Sudan
Beyond the Pandemic: The COVID Response’s Long-Term Benefits for Sudan’s Healthcare System
Agence Française de Développement, 8 February 2023
This article examines the partnership between Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Save the Children in response to the COVID-19 outburst in Sudan and delineates the enduring changes to the healthcare sector in the country.
Social Media Listening and Community Feedback on COVID-19 and Vaccines: Humanitarian Situation Report – January 2023 [EN/AR]
Internews, 13 February 2023
This report analyzes 265 rumors, misconceptions, and community feedback, collected by Internews from social media and via face-to-face listening groups, in Arabic and Angasana, about COVID-19 and vaccines in Sudan.
The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sudanese Healthcare Workers in Quarantine Centers: A Cross-Sectional Study 2020–2021
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 23 February 2023
This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional health facility-based study aiming to explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sudanese healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment centers.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 Infection: A Case Series
Clinical Case Reports, 24 February 2023
This article reports a series of six patients presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with COVID-19 infection, demonstrating the first case series of COVID-19-associated GBS cases in Sudan.
Syria
Blood Donation During COVID-19 Lockdown and Its Association with Anger and Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study from Syria
Frontiers in Sociology, 2 February 2023
This article assesses blood donation in Syria, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown, and its association with stress or anger.
Syrian SMEs in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptation, and Policy Measures
Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 21 February 2023
This article investigates the main challenges that face Syrian SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic and illustrates how they respond to adversities that emerged from governmental intervention to control the spread of the virus.
Tunisia
COVID-19 in a Patient with Congenital Analbuminemia and Coronary Artery Disease: A Case Report
Mathews Journal of Case Reports, 13 February 2023
This article reports the first case of asymptomatic COVID-19 in a patient with CAA (Congenital Analbuminemia) and coronary artery disease, which, the of the authors contend, is the first case of COVID-19 infection among the 90 cases of CAA reported in the literature.
Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation versus Placebo on Recovery Delay among COVID-19 Tunisian Patients: A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial
Trials, 20 February 2023
This article examines the impact of vitamin D supplementation (VDs) on recovery delay among COVID-19 patients at the national COVID-19 containment center in Monastir, Tunisia.
UAE
COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of United Arab Emirates Health Providers at the Start of the Pandemic 2020
Archives of Public Health, 13 February 2023
This article assesses the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers in the United Arab Emirates toward COVID-19 and examines its determinants.
COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection among Vaccinated Population in the United Arab Emirates
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 16 February 2023
This article reports the findings of a descriptive cross-sectional study in the UAE with 1533 participants to examine the characteristics of COVID-19 breakthrough infection among the vaccinated population.
Student Perspectives of Hybrid Delivery in a Transnational Education Context During COVID-19
Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 23 February 2023
This article examines the student experiences of hybrid delivery in a TNE (transnational education) branch campus in the United Arab Emirates and their suggestions for how hybrid delivery could be improved for future delivery.
A Comprehensive Survey on the Beliefs, Perceptions, and Clinical Manifestations of Pre and Post COVID-19 Vaccinations among Physiotherapy Students in the United Arab Emirates
medRxiv, 23 February 2023
This working paper identifies and compares the pre- and post- COVID-19 vaccination-related essential information among Physical Therapy university students in the UAE.
Yemen
An Analysis of Yemenis’ Responses and Sentiments on Social Media Towards the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Humanities and Educational Sciences Journal, 11 February 2023
This article examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Yemeni community. It generates indices assessing public sentiments and attitudes using lexicon and rule-based approach (VAEDR: Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner) and qualitative and quantitative analysis methods.
Psychosocial Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on Yemeni healthcare workers: A Web-based, Cross-sectional Survey
Libyan Journal of Medicine, 25 February 2023
This article provides a psychosocial assessment of Yemeni healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and delineates the factors that influenced their documented experience of high levels of stress.