Early assessment of diffusion and possible expansion of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7, variant of concern 202012/01) in France, January to March 2021

Alexandre Gaymard; Paolo Bosetti; Adeline Feri; Gregory Destras; Vincent Enouf; Alessio Andronico; Sonia Burrel; Sylvie Behillil; Claire Sauvage; Antonin Bal; Florence Morfin; Sylvie Van Der Werf; Laurence Josset; ANRS MIE AC43 COVID-19; French viro COVID group; François Blanquart; Bruno Coignard; Simon Cauchemez; Bruno Lina

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.9.2100133

Early assessment of diffusion and possible expansion of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7, variant of concern 202012/01) in France, January to March 2021

Euro Surveill. 2021 Mar;26(9):2100133. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.9.2100133.

Authors

Alexandre Gaymard^{1

2

3}, Paolo Bosetti^{3

4}, Adeline Feri^{3

5}, Gregory Destras^{1

2}, Vincent Enouf⁶, Alessio Andronico⁴, Sonia Burrel⁷, Sylvie Behillil⁶, Claire Sauvage⁵, Antonin Bal^{1

2}, Florence Morfin^{1

2}, Sylvie Van Der Werf⁶, Laurence Josset^{1

2}; ANRS MIE AC43 COVID-19⁸; French viro COVID group⁸; François Blanquart^{9

10}, Bruno Coignard^{11

5}, Simon Cauchemez^{11

4}, Bruno Lina^{1

11

2}

Collaborators

Jean-Baptiste Bour, Amélie Brousse, Laura Isabelle Verdier, Laura Billon, Anne-Cécile Hochart, Benoît Bergues, Cécile Jensen, Anne Dao Dubremetz, Stéphanie Van Agt, Salma Ben Hadj Yahia, Fabienne Soula-Scheffer, Ludovic Bergon, Béatrice Lesimple, Dominique Descamps, Franck Bernardi, Marie-Pierre Weillaert, Sophie Dekeyser, Lucas Dehove, Bertrand Maubert, Christine Pucalowski, Agathe Francart, Manica Vasseur, Ines Vergnole, Pierre Lureau, Philippe Gueudet, Pascale Martres, Elodie Collin, Anne Vachee, Elena Guillotel, Pierre Sabatier, Véronique Decroix, Zinédine Benchikh, Cécile Faruggia, David Girard, Anne-Marie Camin-Ravenne, Pierre Patoz, Jacques Sartre, Frédérique Canis, Anne Cady, Camille Corlouer, Mounira Smati-Lafarge, Juliette Gillon-Humbert, Jérémie Violette, Alain Gravet, Ana Mendes, Cécile Poggi, Sophie Poussing, Cyrille Bonnet, Jean-François Comes, Frédérique Roumanet, Vianney Leclercq, Jonas Amzalag, Fabien Cabanne, Emmanuel Chanard, Gwenolé Pringent, Aude Lesenne, Stephanie Arsene, Jean-Christophe Roig, Laurence Prots, Claire Felloni, Bénédicte Druel, Catherine Coignard, Michel Tartary, Stéphanie Gilard, Elyanne Gault, Frédérique Moreau, Ségolène Brichler, Héloïse Delagrèverie, Diane Descamps, Charlotte Charpentier, Flore Rozenberg, Anne-Sophie L'Honneur, David Veyer, Laurent Bélec, Slim Fourati, Christophe Rodriguez, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Jacques Fourgeaud, Hanène Abid, Anne-Marie Roque-Afonso, Honorine Fenaux, Aude Jary, Stéphane Marot, Maud Salmona, Marie-Laure Chaix, Laurence Morand-Joubert, Aurélie Schnuriger, Stéphanie Marque Juillet, Pauline Bargain, Cécile Poggi, Lionel Chollet, Clémence Guillaume, Jérôme Guinard, Sophie Vallet, Léa Pilorgé, Evelyne Schvoerer, Cédric Hartard, Sandrine Castelain, Catherine François, Alexandra Ducancelle, Caroline Lefeuvre, Quentin Lepiller, Solène Marty-Quinternet, Pantxika Bellecave, Camille Tumiotto, Julia Dina, Meriadeg Le Gouil, Cécile Henquell, Audrey Mirand, Raymond Césaire, Alexis de Rougemont, Christelle Auvray, Sylvie Larrat, Benjamin Némoz, Claire Tinez, Aurélie Guigon, Sébastien Hantz, Sylvie Rogez, Georges Dos Santos, Pascale Perez, Christelle Jost, Brigitte Montes, Vincent Foulongne, Berthe-Marie Imbert, Céline Bressollette, Valérie Giordanengo, Géraldine Gonfrier, Magali Garcia, Nicolas Lévêque, Véronique Brodard, Hélène Moret, Vincent Thibault, Anne Maillard, Marie-Christine Jaffar-Bandjee, Marie Gueudin, Jean-Christophe Plantier, Bruno Pozzetto, Sylvie Pillet, Samira Fafi-Kremer, Morgane Solis, Jacques Izopet, Pauline Trémeaux, Karl Stefic, Lynda Handala, Geneviève Billaud, Emilie Frobert, Audrey Mérens, Christine Bigaillon, Marine Desroches, Cédric Thepenier, Frédéric Janvier, Marie-Pierre Otto, Bénédicte Roquebert, Stéphanie Haïm-Boukobza

Affiliations

¹ CNR des virus des infections respiratoires (dont la Grippe), Institut des Agents Infectieux, Hopital de la Croix Rousse, HCL, Lyon, France.
² Centre International de recherche en infectiologie (CIRI), Virpath Team, Inserm U1111, CNRS UMR5308, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UCBL, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.
³ These authors contributed equally.
⁴ Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR 2000, CNRS, Paris, France.
⁵ Santé Publique France, Direction des maladies infectieuses, Saint-Maurice, France.
⁶ CNR des virus des infections respiratoires (dont la Grippe), Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses, CNRS UMR 3569, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
⁷ GHU Pitié-Salpêtrière APHP, 83, boulevard de l'hôpital & SU-INSERM UMR_S 1136 Team 3 THERAVIR IPLESP, Paris, France.
⁸ The members of the group are listed under Investigators.
⁹ Infection Antimicrobials Modelling Evolution, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
¹⁰ Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
¹¹ These senior authors contributed equally.

PMID: 33663644
PMCID: PMC7934223
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.9.2100133

Abstract

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variant 20I/501Y.V1 (VOC-202012/1 or GR/501Y.V1) is concerning given its increased transmissibility. We reanalysed 11,916 PCR-positive tests (41% of all positive tests) performed on 7-8 January 2021 in France. The prevalence of 20I/501Y.V1 was 3.3% among positive tests nationwide and 6.9% in the Paris region. Analysing the recent rise in the prevalence of 20I/501Y.V1, we estimate that, in the French context, 20I/501Y.V1 is 52-69% more transmissible than the previously circulating lineages, depending on modelling assumptions.

Keywords: 20I/501Y.V1; COVID; France; SARS-CoV-2; mutation; surveillance; viral infections.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
France / epidemiology
Humans
Paris
SARS-CoV-2*