[ad_1]
The new strain of coronavirus discovered in Denmark has forced European and neighboring countries to take greater measures to safeguard already precarious situations.
Danish authorities discovered the new strain in mink farms, with at least 12 humans infected with the strain after handling the animals. More than a quarter of a million Danes locked themselves in northern Denmark as of Friday in an attempt to contain the potential spread of the mutation.
“Instead of waiting for evidence, you better act quickly,” said Tyra Grove Krause, department head at the Statens Serum Institut, a government agency that maps the spread of the coronavirus in Denmark.
CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES: GET THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS HERE
Viral mutations are common: The annual flu season occurs due to continual mutations from the original influenza pandemic of 1918.
The World Health Organization has said the effects and characteristics of the coronavirus mutation are unknown, but scientists fear that any mutation will weaken the effectiveness of any potential vaccine – such as the recently announced Pfizer vaccine, which is believed to be effective at 90% on a large scale. testing.
A Dutch veterinary expert says the mutation is not new, however, and was indeed seen in mink farms in the Netherlands earlier this year.
UNITED STATES NEAR 10M CORONAVIRUS CASES AMID SURGE OF INFECTIONS
“We have already seen a mutant virus with a comparable mutation in the region encoding the spike protein, in mink in the Netherlands, but this mutant did not spread to humans and the minks from the farm involved were slaughtered, “Professor Wim van der Poel of Wageningen University told the BBC.
The Danish government plans to slaughter up to 17 million mink to avoid a more serious situation, but other countries in Europe have already started to take bigger measures.
The UK has issued new travel restrictions in Denmark: UK residents and nationals will have to self-isolate with their household, but all other travelers, regardless of their origin, will not be allowed to enter the country.
WHO REPORTS CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED AMONG MINK POPULATIONS IN 6 COUNTRIES
The English Premier League has advised teams not to allow Danish players to return to their home countries for international matches due to new travel restrictions, CBS Sports reported.
Israel plans to impose tests on anyone arriving from Denmark after reporting that three Israelis returning from the country were suspected of being infected with the new strain.
“The likelihood of a patient carrying the mutation arriving in Israel is low … At the same time, we are exercising greater caution,” Israel’s health ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The Ministry of Health, together with the Home Front Command, has released a list of passengers who have returned from Denmark and has been in contact with them since this morning to perform a special crown sample and test the mutation.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
[ad_2]
Source link