--- title: "Mutated Form of COVID Spreading Between Mink and Humans in Denmark" description: "Authorities in Denmark have found that a mutation of the coronavirus has spread from minks to humans, and plan to kill all 17 million mink in the country." date: "2020-11-04" modified: "2020-11-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/mutated-covid-mink-humans-denmark" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "denmark" --- # Mutated Form of COVID Spreading Between Mink and Humans in Denmark ![Authorities in Denmark have found that a mutation of the coronavirus has spread from minks to humans, and plan to kill all 17 million mink in the country.]() *\Image: qmnonic\* Health authorities in Denmark have found that a mutation of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has spread from minks to humans, a [potentially disastrous]() occurrence. The European nation is taking no chances and is planning to kill all roughly 17 million minks in the country as a result, [*Reuters* reports](). In case you were wondering, Denmark is the world's largest exporter of mink furs. Killing all minks in the country could cost some $785 million, [the *Washington Post* reports](), with 207 out of 1,139 fur farms in the country already infected with the mutated coronavirus. More than a million mink have already been culled as a result of the virus, [according to the *Financial Times*](). "We have a great responsibility towards our own population, but with the mutation that has now been found, we have an even greater responsibility for the rest of the world as well," prime minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday, according to the *Post*. Authorities found that the new virus strains showed lower sensitivity to antibodies. "The mutated virus in mink may pose a risk to the effectiveness of a future vaccine," the prime minister said. "It is very, very serious," Frederiksen noted. "Thus, the mutated virus in minks can have devastating consequences worldwide." Lab test findings have been shared with the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. There have been repeated outbreaks of the coronavirus amongst minks in Denmark, with health authorities trying to cull those infected since June, according to *Reuters*. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()