Volume 27, Number 7—July 2021
Dispatch
Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Lineage at Outpatient Testing Site, Berlin, Germany, January–March 2021
Welmoed van Loon
, Heike Rössig, Susen Burock, Jörg Hofmann, Julian Bernhard, Elisabeth Linzbach, Domenika Pettenkofer, Christian Schönfeld, Maximilian Gertler, Joachim Seybold, Tobias Kurth, and Frank P. Mockenhaupt
, Heike Rössig, Susen Burock, Jörg Hofmann, Julian Bernhard, Elisabeth Linzbach, Domenika Pettenkofer, Christian Schönfeld, Maximilian Gertler, Joachim Seybold, Tobias Kurth, and Frank P. Mockenhaupt
Table
Characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–positive outpatients attending the Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin testing site, by lineages, Germany, January–March 2021*
| Characteristic | Wild-type lineage | B.1.1.7 variant | OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total no. |
125 |
193 |
NA |
| Sex | |||
| M | 69 (55.2) | 94 (49.0) | |
| F |
56 (44.8) |
98 (51.0) |
1.3 (0.8–2.0) |
| Mean age, y (±SD) |
36.6 (±13.8) |
34.8 (±15.9) |
1.8 (−1.5 to 5.1)† |
| Any symptoms | 122 (97.6) | 186 (96.4) | 0.7 (0.2–2.6) |
| Self-reported fever in previous 48 h | 48 (38.4) | 82 (42.5) | 1.2 (0.8–1.9) |
| Median self-reported temperature in case of fever, °C (±SD) | 38.3 (±0.6) | 38.2 (±0.7) | 0.1 (−0.2 to 0.4)§ |
| Shortness of breath | 12 (9.6) | 26 (13.5) | 1.5 (0.7–3.0) |
| Fatigue | 92 (73.6) | 138 (71.5) | 0.9 (0.5–1.5) |
| Chest pain | 3 (2.4) | 2 (1.0) | 0.4 (0.1–2.6) |
| Diarrhea | 19 (15.2) | 24 (12.4) | 0.8 (0.4–1.5) |
| Anosmia or ageusia (loss of smell or taste) | 47 (37.6) | 46 (23.8) | 0.5 (0.3–0.9) |
| Muscle aches | 75 (60.0) | 116 (60.1) | 1.0 (0.6–1.6) |
| Sore throat | 52 (41.6) | 104 (53.9) | 1.6 (1.0–2.6) |
| Cough | 61 (48.8) | 98 (50.8) | 1.1 (0.7–1.7) |
| Headache | 86 (68.8) | 133 (68.9) | 1.0 (0.6–1.6) |
| Chills | 44 (35.2) | 67 (34.7) | 1.0 (0.6–1.6) |
| Rhinorrhea |
76 (60.8) |
102 (52.8) |
0.7 (0.5–1.1) |
| Median duration of symptoms upon test, d (25%–75% quantile) |
3.0 (2.0–4.8) |
3.0 (2.0–4.0) |
0.0 (−1.0 to 0.0)§ |
| Contact with person with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection | 60 (48.0) | 97 (50.3) | 1.1 (0.7–1.7) |
| Median time between contact with person with confirmed
SARS-CoV-2 infection and test, d (25%–75% quantile) |
4.0 (1.2–7.0) |
4.0 (1.0–6.0) |
0.0 (−1.5 to 3.0)‡ |
| Travel outside Berlin region in previous 14 d |
12 (9.6) |
36 (18.7) |
2.2 (1.1–4.3) |
| Median Ct value (25%–75% quantile) | 20.2 (17.4–24.1) | 20.1 (17.1–22.8) | 0.1 (−0.9 to 1.6)‡ |
| Symptom duration <7 d, no. patients (median Ct value [25%–75% quantile]) | 113 (19.9 [17.4–23.5]) | 171 (19.5 [16.6–22.6]) | 0.4 (−1.0 to 1.7)‡ |
| Symptom duration >7 d, no. patients (median Ct value [25%–75% quantile]) | 6 (30.1 [26.1–31.3]) | 11 (26.2 [21.4–31.2]) | 3.9 (−5.6 to 10.0)‡ |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. Ct, cycle threshold; NA, not applicable; OR, odds ratio; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. †Difference in means (95% CI). ‡Difference in medians (95% CI). The 95% CI for difference in medians was computed by a percentile bootstrap with 1,000 replications.
Page created: May 10, 2021
Page updated: June 17, 2021
Page reviewed: June 17, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.