Animals infected with Covid-19 could reverse efforts to end the pandemic

Mink is the latest animal to be infected with Covid-19 and risks the prospect of a dangerous mutation that could be human. While the threat is minor, there are many reasons why animals infected with the coronavirus are bad news

health

November 11, 2020

By Graham Lawton

Mink on a farm in Denmark, where the animals were requested to be killed

Reuters / Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

All 17 million minks bred in Denmark were at risk of slaughter last week after mutant forms of the coronavirus were found to spread among the animals. The virus has already spread to humans. Some reports suggest that at least one of the mutations makes the virus more dangerous, although the idea is highly controversial, and claims that it could hinder the development of a vaccine still don’t stand up to testing.

The call to club …