First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020
Gianfranco Spiteri, James Fielding, Michaela Diercke, C Campese, Vincent Enouf, Alexandre Gaymard, Antonino Bella, Paola Sognamiglio, María José Sierra Moros, Antonio Nicolau Riutort, Yulia V. Demina, Romain Mahieu, Markku Broas, Malin Bengnér, Silke Buda, Julia Schilling, Laurent Filleul, A. Lepoutre, C. Saura, Alexandra Mailles, D Lévy-Brühl, B. Coignard, Sibylle Bernard-Stoecklin, Sylvie Behillil, Sylvie van der Werf, Martine Valette, Bruno Lina, Flavia Riccardo, Emanuele Nicastri, Inmaculada Casas, Amparo Larrauri, Magdalena Salom Castell, Francisco Pozo, Rinat А. Maksyutov, Charlotte Martin, Marc Van Ranst, Nathalie Bossuyt, Lotta Siira, Jussi Sane, Karin Tegmark-Wisell, Maria Palmérus, Eeva Broberg, Julien Beauté, Pernille Jorgensen, Nick Bundle, Dmitriy Pereyaslov, Cornelia Adlhoch, Jukka Pukkila, Richard Pebody, Sonja J. Olsen, B C Ciancio
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.