Test determined growth curves on a logarithmic scale, for development of the<unk>  variant (lineage B.1.1.7) share among all coronavirus positive samples in Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Switzerland, and Ireland. The slopes noted in brackets, are the relative exponential growth rate per day (e.g. 7.6% per day for Denmark). Test determined growth curves on a logarithmic scale, for development of the<unk>  variant (lineage B.1.1.7) share among all coronavirus positive samples in the United Kingdom, countries in the UK, and regions of England. The slopes noted in brackets, are the relative exponential growth rate per day (e.g. 8.6% per day for the UK). Cases of the<unk>  variant (lineage B.1.1.7) are likely to be under-reported by most countries as the most commonly used tests do not distinguish between this variant and other<unk> -CoV-2 variants, and as many<unk> -CoV-2 infections are not detected at all. RNA sequencing is required for detection of this variant, although RT-PCR test for specific variants can be used as a proxy test for<unk>  — or as a supplementing first-screening test before conducting the whole-genome sequencing. As of<unk> 3 March, the<unk>  variant had been detected in 125 out of<unk> 41 sovereign states and dependencies (or 104 out of 194 WHO member countries), of which some had reported existence of community transmission while others so far only found travel related cases. As of 16 March, it had become the dominant<unk> ID-19 variant for<unk> 1 countries: United Kingdom (week 52), Ireland (week<unk> , Bulgaria (week 4), Slovakia (week 5), Israel (week 5), Luxembourg (week 5), Portugal (week 6), Denmark (week 7), Netherlands (week 7), Norway (week 7), Italy (week 7), Belgium (week 7), France (week 8), Austria (week 8), Switzerland (week 8), Liechtenstein (week 9), Germany (week 9), Sweden (week 9), Spain (week 9), Malta (week 10) and Poland (week 11). The emergence and the fast spreading of the new variant has been detected in Lebanon and a relationship noted between<unk> -CoV-2 transmission intensity and the frequency of the new variant during the first twelve days of January. Since February,<unk>  has become the dominant variant in Lebanon. As of February<unk> 021, none of the countries from South America, Central America, Africa, Middle East (except Israel), Asia and Oceania had reported data for the detected share of the<unk>  variant among their<unk> ID-19 positives; rendering it unknown whether or not<unk>  could be dominant for their<unk> ID-19 pandemic. Spread in UK The first case was likely in mid-September<unk> 020 in London or Kent, United Kingdom. As of 13 December<unk> 020, 1,108 cases with this variant had been identified in the UK in nearly 60 different local authorities. These cases were predominantly in the south east of England. The variant has also been identified in Wales and Scotland. By November, around a quarter of cases in the<unk> ID-19 pandemic in London were being caused by the new variant, and by December, that was a third. In mid-December, it was estimated that almost 60 percent of cases in London involved<unk> . By<unk> 5 January<unk> 021, the number of confirmed and probable UK cases had grown to<unk> 8,122. Spread in Europe The variant became dominant for: * South East England in week 48, the last week of November<unk> 020. * England in week 51 of<unk> 020. * United Kingdom in week 52 of<unk> 020. * Scotland and Northern Ireland in week 1 of<unk> 021. * Wales in week<unk>  of<unk> 021. * Ireland in week<unk>  of<unk> 021. In Bulgaria, genome sequencing found the variant to be dominant with 52.1% in week 4, followed by 73.4% in week 9. Distribution of the<unk> -CoV-2 virus variants after entering Germany Also in Slovakia, a RT-PCR Multiplex DX test capable of detecting the<unk>  deletions specific for lineage B.1.1.7 (ΔH69/ΔV70 and ΔY144), first found the variant nationwide in 74% of cases on 3 February (week 5), followed by 72% of cases on 15 February (week 7), and it then grew to 90% of cases on 3 March (week 9). The same test found earlier on 8 January prevalence of the variant at a rate of 36% in the Michalovce District and<unk> 9% in Nitra. In Israel, the variant was first time detected by genome sequencing<unk> 3 December<unk> 020. Leumit Health Care Services however analysed with the proxy test RT-PCR (SGTF) and found the variant at a rate of 3‑4% on 15 December. The national Ministry of Health estimated based on genome sequencing, that the prevalence of the variant became dominant (70%) on 6 February followed by 90% on 16 February. In Luxembourg, a weekly genome sequencing revealed that the variant grew from 0.3% (week 51) to be dominant with a share of 53.0% in week 5, although results might not be fully representative due to the fact that no correction occurred from potential targeting bias from contact tracing, airport travellers and local outbreaks. Genome sequencing of a population representative randomized test pool - with no target bias - was conducted since week 6, and it confirmed the dominant status of the variant at a rate of 54.1% (week 6) growing to 62.8% (week 9), while the competing Beta variant (lineage B.1.351) was found to be at 18.5% in week 9. In Denmark the variant grew from 0.3% (week 46 of<unk> 020) to become dominant with 65.9% (week 7 of<unk> 021), and it grew further to 92.7% (week 10); with the regional prevalence ranging from 87.3% in the North Jutland Region to 96.1% in the Central Denmark Region. The observed growth of the relative variant share, was in full accordance with the earlier modelled forecast, that had predicted dominance (over 50%) around mid-February and a prevalence of around 80% of the total circulating variants by early March. In comparison, the genome sequencing only found the competing Beta variant in 0.4% of the positive cases (9 times out of<unk> 315 tests) in week 10. In the Netherlands, a randomly conducted genome sequencing found that the variant grew from 1.3% of cases in week 49 to a dominant share of 61.3% in week 7, followed by 82.0% in week 9; while the competing Beta variant in comparison was found to be at 3.0% in week 9. In Amsterdam, the<unk>  variant (lineage B.1.1.7) grew from 5.2% (week 52) to 54.5% (week 6). In Norway, the variant was found by genome sequencing to grow from 5.7% (week 1) into dominance by a 58.4% (week 7), followed by 65.0% (week 8). Another large survey comprising results of both genome sequencing and PCR proxy tests, with a sample seize of more than 1000 tests per week (since week 4), at the same time found that the variant grew from<unk> .0% (week 48) into dominance by 60.0% (week 7), followed by 72.7% in week 10 - while only<unk> .2% of cases in comparison were found to be of the Beta variant. The variant regionally had its highest share in the county of Oslo and Viken, growing from 18% to 90% of analysed samples in Oslo from<unk> 0 January to<unk> 3 February (although with the data-corrected estimate a bit lower at 50-70% on<unk> 3 February); while growing from<unk> 1% to 80% of analysed samples in Viken from<unk> 5 January to<unk> 3 February (although with the data-corrected estimate a bit lower at 50% on<unk> 3 February). For the period 15 February to 14 March, the combined survey of genome sequencing and PCR proxy tests, also found the<unk>  variant was at a dominant rate over 50% for 8 out of 11 regions, with its highest rate (82%) found for Oslo; while the region Nordland was different from all other regions by having only 6% cases of<unk>  along with a dominant 88% of cases represented by the Beta variant. In Portugal, the variant represented according to a national genome sequencing survey: 16.0% of the<unk> id-19 infections during 10–19 January (week<unk> , followed by a dominant 58.2% in week 6. A national RT-PCR proxy test based on SGTF and SGTL observations, found the variant at a rate of 33.5% in week 4, but observed afterwards a decelerating pace for the weekly rise of the variant share (reason unknown), and according to this study it only became dominant by 50.5% in week 8, followed by 64.3% in week 10. In Italy, the<unk>  variant accounted for 17.8% of cases nationwide on 4–5 February (week 5), followed by 54.0% on 18 February (week 7). The regional prevalence for week 7 ranged from 0% in Aosta Valley (although only one sample was tested) to 93.3% in Molise. In week 7, the competing Gamma variant had a prevalence of 4.3% (ranging between 0%-36.2% regionally) and the South African variant a prevalence of 0.4% (ranging between 0%-2.9% regionally). In Switzerland, a nationwide weekly genome sequencing survey found that the<unk>  variant grew from 0.05% (week 51) to a dominant 58.2% of cases in week 8, followed by 71.1% in week 9. This was in full accordance with a model from 9 February that had forecast
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