Dr. Amina Al-Rehaili1*, Amany Al-Rehaili2
Department of Geography College of Social Sciences Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.
Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 16-34 | September 2024 | https://doi.org/10.54940/ss98150958 | PDF
Received: 31/07/2023 | Revised: 27/10/2023 | Accepted: 30/10/2023
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 2020 and 2023 and to determine the impact of weather variables by examining the simple and multiple regression coefficients of the relationship between confirmed cases and weather conditions using geographically weighted regression and least squares methods.
To achieve this, the study followed a structured methodology, beginning with data collection on confirmed COVID-19 cases, climate elements, and air pollutants for the same period from the NASA website. The findings indicated that the distribution pattern of cases was random. The application of spatial analysis indicators confirmed variations in the distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases, with an average regional concentration of 27.73% and an incidence rate of 2,049.9 confirmed cases per 100,000 people. The results also showed that 71.5% of confirmed cases were concentrated in the Riyadh, Makkah, and Eastern regions, with multiple clusters identified in the central, eastern, and western parts of the Kingdom.
Furthermore, the study concluded that air pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide (86.3%), had a very strong direct effect on the spread of COVID-19 cases. A weaker direct effect was observed for sulfur dioxide (29.6%) and temperature (25.4%), while rainfall distribution (13.7%), carbon monoxide (12.3%), wind speed (8.8%), and relative humidity (1.3%) exhibited very weak direct effects.
Keywords
Spatial analysis, confirmed COVID-19 cases, weather conditions, Saudi Arabia, GIS
How to Cite
Al-Rehaili, A. & Al-Rehaili, A. (2024). Spatial analysis of confirmed cases of Covid-19 and their relationship to weather conditions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using geographic information systems. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Social Sciences,Vol 16(3), pp16-34. https://doi.org/10.54940/ss98150958
License
Copyright (c) 2023. This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC)