First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020

Spiteri, Gianfranco; Fielding, James; Diercke, Michaela; Campese, Christine; Enouf, Vincent; Gaymard, Alexandre; Bella, Antonino; Sognamiglios, Paola; Sierra Moros, Maria Jose; Nicolau Riutort, Antonio; Demina, Yulia; Mahieu, Romain; Broas, Markku; Bengner, Malin; Buda, Silke; Schilling, Julia; Filleul, Laurent; Lepoutre, Agnes; Saura, Christine; Mailles, Alexandra; Levy-Bruhl, Daniel; Coignard, Bruno; Bernard-Stoecklin, Sibylle; Behillil, Sylvie; van der Werf, Sylvie; Valette, Martine; Lina, Bruno; Riccardo, Flavia; Nicastri, Emanuele; Casas, Inmaculada; Larrauri, Amparo; Salom Castell, Magdalena; Pozo, Francisco; Maksyutov, Rinat A; Martin, Charlotte; Van Ranst, Marc; Bossuyt, Nathalie; Siira, Lotta; Sane, Jussi; Tegmark-Wisell, Karin; Palmerus, Maria; Broberg, Eeva K; Beaute, Julien; Jorgensen, Pernille; Bundle, Nick; Pereyaslov, Dmitriy; Adlhoch, Cornelia; Pukkila, Jukka; Pebody, Richard; Olsen, Sonja; Ciancio, Bruno Christian

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000178

First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020

Author:

Spiteri, Gianfranco

Fielding, James ; Diercke, Michaela ; Campese, Christine ; Enouf, Vincent ; Gaymard, Alexandre ; Bella, Antonino ; Sognamiglios, Paola ; Sierra Moros, Maria Jose ; Nicolau Riutort, Antonio ; Demina, Yulia ; Mahieu, Romain ; Broas, Markku ; Bengner, Malin ; Buda, Silke ; Schilling, Julia ; Filleul, Laurent ; Lepoutre, Agnes ; Saura, Christine ; Mailles, Alexandra ; Levy-Bruhl, Daniel ; Coignard, Bruno ; Bernard-Stoecklin, Sibylle ; Behillil, Sylvie ; van der Werf, Sylvie ; Valette, Martine ; Lina, Bruno ; Riccardo, Flavia ; Nicastri, Emanuele ; Casas, Inmaculada ; Larrauri, Amparo ; Salom Castell, Magdalena ; Pozo, Francisco ; Maksyutov, Rinat A ; Martin, Charlotte ; Van Ranst, Marc ; Bossuyt, Nathalie ; Siira, Lotta ; Sane, Jussi ; Tegmark-Wisell, Karin ; Palmerus, Maria ; Broberg, Eeva K ; Beaute, Julien ; Jorgensen, Pernille ; Bundle, Nick ; Pereyaslov, Dmitriy ; Adlhoch, Cornelia ; Pukkila, Jukka ; Pebody, Richard ; Olsen, Sonja ; Ciancio, Bruno Christian

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Infectious Diseases, COVID-19, Novel coronavirus, SARS, SARS-COV-2, coronavirus disease 2019, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Betacoronavirus, Child, Child, Preschool, China, Coronavirus Infections, Europe, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pneumonia, Viral, Population Surveillance, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Risk Factors, SARS-CoV-2, Travel, Viral Envelope Proteins, World Health Organization, Young Adult, 0605 Microbiology, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences, 4202 Epidemiology

Abstract:

In the WHO European Region, COVID-19 surveillance was implemented 27 January 2020. We detail the first European cases. As at 21 February, nine European countries reported 47 cases. Among 38 cases studied, 21 were linked to two clusters in Germany and France, 14 were infected in China. Median case age was 42 years; 25 were male. Late detection of the clusters' index cases delayed isolation of further local cases. As at 5 March, there were 4,250 cases.