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A variant of SARS-CoV-2 mutated in farmed mink could compromise the efficacy of corona vaccines. Now an attempt is being made to stop the spread. Image: keystone
After the coronavirus mutation: Denmark is taking drastic steps
A variant of the virus that is said to affect corona vaccines is widespread in North Jutland. The FOPH explains that the situation is being watched “closely”.
A message from Denmark caused horror among animal lovers on Wednesday: the government is killing 17 million minks. The reason: In an unknown number of fur animals that are raised on mink farms, a potentially dangerous Sars-CoV-2 mutation is rampant.
The large number of cages in a confined space has proven to be ideal for the rapid spread of the virus and also for mutations, the “nightmare when fighting pandemics”, German media report.
The virus initially jumped from humans to animals, changed, and then recovered.
Lest this terrifying prospect become reality, the government said in Copenhagen on Thursday. the extensive isolation of the entire population in North Jutland according to the report.
In addition, all residents of the region will be required to test for the special mutation.
What is “Group 5”?
The researchers call the mutation “Cluster 5”. And this has now been discovered in five mink farms in Denmark, twelve people have been shown to have been infected.
The state serum institute believes the mutation is so dangerous that all mink from Denmark’s more than 1,100 mink farms should be euthanized as soon as possible.
The new corona virus has been known for a long time to be circulating among breeding animals on mink farms.
On Wednesday it was said that according to Danish authorities, corona cases had already been found on more than 200 farms. All the animals have already been slaughtered on 67 farms. However, the killings apparently did not occur quickly enough to minimize the danger.
In July 2020 there was “slaughter” of malts grown in the Netherlands. Image: keystone
On Thursday, the Danish government hit the emergency brake: in addition to the assassination decision, the Copenhagen government also ordered special restrictions for the North Jutland region, where the infected farms are located. The roughly 300,000 residents who live there are asked not to travel beyond the borough’s borders in the next four weeks, all cafes, restaurants and pubs will be closed and public events canceled. However, schools and nurseries must remain open.
The mutation threatens the efficacy of the vaccine
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen he spoke on Wednesday afternoon of “possible extremely negative consequences for the course of the pandemic not only in Denmark, but throughout the world.”
“We have the responsibility of the rest of the world,” the media quoted the head of government, who was only able to attend the briefing virtually due to her own corona quarantine.
Danish television journalists follow the press conference in which the Danish prime minister reported on the threat posed by the mutated coronavirus. Image: keystone
Noisy Kåre Mølbak, Director of the Serum Institute, a scenario “in which we have a pandemic that starts in Denmark” is conceivable.
Although mutations are completely natural, SARS-CoV-2 has already mutated several times: “But when viruses jump from animals to humans, that is, when they enter another biological system, special mutations arise,” explained Mølbak . And in “Group 5,” the special mutation is in the part of Sars-CoV-2 that most vaccines target.
Scientists fear that antibody therapies like vaccines will no longer work. “Your key no longer fits in the lock,” he says. Professor of Immunology Jan Pravsgaard Christensen quoted.
This fear has been around since September, but has now been confirmed by laboratory tests.
Hans Jørn Kolmos, Professor of Clinical Microbiology, warned of the dramatic consequences if corona vaccines did not work as planned: “We could have a pandemic the size of the Spanish flu.”
According to reports, the Danish health authority assumes that half of those infected with corona in the region could be infected with mink mutations, about a tenth of them with the “Cluster 5” variant. Mølbak warned that if the mutation couldn’t be stopped locally, North Jutland could become something of a second Wuhan.
Watson has requested a statement from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). The reply by email:
“The BAG is closely monitoring the situation. At the present time, no statement can be made about the effects of the mutation on the course of the disease in humans, the rate of spread, or even the effects on the effectiveness of the vaccines currently being developed. “
Yann Hulmann, media spokesperson
Denmark had already tried it two weeks ago in a first attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus among mink farms and ordered the slaughter of 4 million animals. The virus continued to rage.
And after similar outbreaks of corona infections in mink, the Netherlands decided in early June to kill all fur animals on affected farms.
