WHO probing new COVID mutation, mink-to-human transmission in Denmark

The World Health Organization says it’s investigating a coronavirus mutation in Denmark, as well as the transmission of the virus there to humans from minks.

We are aware of reports from #Denmark of a number of people infected with coronavirus from mink, with some genetic changes in the virus. We are in touch with the Danish authorities to find out more about this event. #COVID19

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 5, 2020

Denmark, the world’s biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country’s minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at mink farms and had spread to people. The mutation “could pose a risk that future (coronavirus) vaccines won’t work the way they should,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference.

“It is necessary to cull all the minks.”

Denmark’s police chief Thorkild Fogde said they would start the culling as “soon as possible,” but conceded that with 15 million to 17 million minks spread over 1,080 farms it was “a very large undertaking.” The novel coronavirus has been detected at 207 Danish mink farms, including some cases with a mutated version that has been confirmed to spread back to humans.

Health authorities have also concluded that the mutated virus “is not inhibited by antibodies to the same degree as the normal virus.”

“Studies have shown that the mutations may affect the current candidates for a Covid-19 vaccine,” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Wednesday.

“It is a threat to the development of coronavirus vaccines. That is why it is important that we make a national effort,” he added.

— with AFP