Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern B.1.1.7, B.1.351 or P.1: data from seven EU/EEA countries, weeks 38/2020 to 10/2021

COVID study groups - PORTUGAL: Portuguese Laboratory Network for the Diagnosis of COVID-19 and Public Health Department of the Health Administrative Regions, Physicians that provided data and samples from suspected cases and SARS-CoV-2 genetic characterization. INSA laboratory team for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Algarve Biomedical Center and Unilabs. We compared 19,207 cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7/S gene target failure (SGTF), 436 B.1.351 and 352 P.1 to non-variant cases reported by seven European countries. COVID-19 cases with these variants had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios for hospitalisation (B.1.1.7/SGTF: 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-2.9; B.1.351: 3.6, 95…