Denmark is taking drastic actions to prevent the spread of a mutant form of the coronavirus found in minks, one that may be resistant to vaccines.
Danes will face severe restrictions on movement across county lines in seven regions in the north, where the mink farms are located. Bars and restaurants will be closed, and schools and public transportation will be shut down until Dec. 3.
Thus far, the Danish authorities have identified 12 people as having been infected with the new strain.
The new strain of the coronavirus has mutations on its spike protein, the part of the virus that attaches to healthy cells. Vaccines that are expected to be available in the next few months target the spike protein.
Denmark’s health minister, Magnus Heunicke, said the mutated strain “is a threat to the development of vaccines against the coronavirus.” A report from the State Serum Institute, which is charged with controlling infectious diseases in Denmark, said, “There is a risk that vaccines targeting the spike protein will not provide optimal protection against the new viruses occurring in mink.”
The mink industry in Denmark is substantial, with Danish mink farms producing an estimated 40% of the pelts worldwide. Danish authorities will kill between 15 million and 17 million minks in an effort to contain the mutated virus.
“It is a dark day for all of us and for Denmark,” said Tage Pedersen, the president of the Danish Fur Breeders Association. “Of course, we don’t want to be the cause of another pandemic, but the government’s decision is a disaster for our industry and Denmark. It is a de facto permanent shutdown and liquidation of the fur industry.”
