As of April 28, 40 cases of infection with the 20C/655Y (B.1.616) variant have been confirmed (37 in Brittany, three in other regions). The diagnosis was made on a first positive RT-PCR from a sample nasopharyngeal in 13% of them, and from a deep sample in 68% of cases. All cases have a direct or indirect link with the enhanced surveillance zone in Brittany. The majority of cases are linked to transmissions within hospital clusters in the area. A few cases have been reported in link with a chain of transmission in the community but, to date, the monitoring indicators do not suggest a significant community diffusion of this variant in the population, whether in Brittany or elsewhere. Epidemiological investigations are continuing to characterize the episode and monitor the diffusion of this variant.
