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COPENHAGEN: A new mutated strain of the novel coronavirus originating from mink farms in Denmark is “very likely” extinct, the Health Ministry said on Thursday (Nov 19), amid fears the new strain could compromise COVID vaccines. -19.
“No more cases of the mink variant have been detected with group 5 since September 15, so the State Serum Institute assesses that this variant is probably extinct,” the ministry said in a statement.
Two weeks ago, Denmark ordered all domestically grown minks to be culled to curb widespread COVID-19 outbreaks on farms, a situation exacerbated by the discovery of a mutated variant, which authorities said showed reduced sensitivity to the antibodies.
On Wednesday, the Nordic country’s agriculture and food minister resigned after the government’s admission that he did not have the proper legal basis behind the removal order, making it a possible constitutional violation.
Opposition parties in Denmark are calling for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to resign as well, saying she was ultimately responsible.
Frederiksen has publicly apologized, but maintains that the decision to euthanize all the minks was the right one and was based on an assessment by the health authorities.
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Based on improving infection figures in the northern part of Denmark, home to most of the country’s mink farms, the Health Ministry also announced Thursday that it would ease restrictions imposed two weeks ago to slow the spread of the virus. .
Minks have shown particular susceptibility to coronavirus infection, a problem compounded by the fact that minks are raised in large numbers and in close living conditions, according to the World Health Organization.
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