Thread by @DrEricDing

HUMAN➡️MINKS➡️HUMAN transmission on mink farms in NL. 68% of the tested farm workers and/or contacts had evidence of #SARSCoV2 infection. The coronavirus mutated & even evolved within minks before transmitted back to humans—& keeps #COVID19 perpetuating. science.sciencemag.org/content/early/…

2) More worrisome about minks: In Denmark, minks at a farm that got infected months ago later became **reinfected recently**—including with symptoms. Random sampling of 36 animals brought up 26 positives - all reinfected. This needs further study. tv2nord.dk/amp/119200?__t…

3) As pointed out, in Denmark, minks outnumber total humans by over 2x. And attack rates of #SARSCoV2 in minks is sometimes 90% of all exposed minks. So yeah, that’s why Danish leaders are worried about mink #COVID19

https://twitter.com/k_g_andersen/status/1326232344886304768

4) With sooooo many minks infected in Denmark and elsewhere, immunologist Dr Anderson is “concerned” about possible “unexpected evolutionary pathways”. This is why there is a movement to cull the minks and eliminate all mink farming. But this has stalled in Denmark.

https://twitter.com/k_g_andersen/status/1326232345863618561

5) and why should we care most of all? Two words: “vaccine escape”. If we let the #SARSCoV2 establish itself in another species permanently, there is greater chance of it long term. We cannot let this coronavirus linger on this planet and evolved in “unexpected” pathways.

https://twitter.com/k_g_andersen/status/1325149388386099200

6) While “vaccine escape” is unlikely, we can’t be sure yet. And Dr Anderson points out #SARSCoV2, while has a low substitution rate, actually has a high recombination rate.

https://twitter.com/k_g_andersen/status/1325149389208264704

7) Also, @michaelmina_lab has said vaccine escape is unlikely, but he admits there is currently one potential vulnerability—almost all current vaccines target immunity development against #SARSCoV2’s current spike protein. While best 🎯, we are putting eggs into one basket.

8) MINK EPIDEMIC IN OREGON. “The mink is currently the only animal known to pass the coronavirus back to humans. There’s also concern that the virus can mutate inside mink populations and lead to new strains that might resist vaccines.” bgr.com/2020/12/01/cor…

9) ...and we just got a new confirmation of a mink #SARSCoV2 spike protein mutation... that has also made it into humans. Luckily this one our vaccines and antibodies still recognize. But we might not be so lucky if pandemic drags in a large mink reservoir from which to emerge.

https://twitter.com/alinouriphd/status/1334231896281190406