Much angst over the recent reports of mutations in mink population of Denmark causing infections in humans. There is NO need to panic at all. Here's a few points to note about the past, present and ?future of Coronaviruses, incl #Covid19 1/

Coronaviruses by nature, have a tendency to infect animals and mutate each time the virus is introduced to a new species. Certain species tend to be more likely to host these viruses & allow mutations (bats), others not so much (dogs, domestic pets) 2/

SARS (bats, civet cats) and MERS (camels) both involved intermediate species which allowed mutations to occur that led to disease when introduced into humans. Doesn't mean that mutations by definition, are all worrisome. Most are NOT 3/

We have already demonstrated several mutations of SARS COV-2, specifically that involve the spike protein which allows penetration into the host cell & is the key target determinant for triggering an immune response via vaccines 4/

There has been speculation that one spike protein mutation "D614G" has made Covid-19 more transmissible (some evidence) or possibly more lethal (no evidence). However, there IS reason to believe this is now the dominant circulating strain 5/

Covid-19 has already been identified in several mammal species including dogs, cats, tigers, lions, and now, minks. It is expected that many more species could potentially become targets largely because the virus is still poorly controlled in most regions 6/

More than 90,000 minks were already infected in Spain in June, 2020. No evidence of transmission to humans was identified then but now Denmark has 12 confirmed cases from farm workers with the same mink strain of SARS-Cov2 7/13

Those infected with the mink strain are demonstrating mild symptoms. There is no indication that the mutation is associated with greater contagion or lethality than existing strains of SARSCoV2. Also does not mean we ought to ignore it 8/13

Mutations do not indicated any lesser likelihood of evading an immune response or inability to generate antibodies, naturally OR via vaccination. Early indications from many vaccine trials is very positive even with D614G floating around everywhere 9/13

We should expect that the mink strain will spread to more humans still but culling of large numbers of mink population will certainly limit the extent to which a reservoir can be maintained. This is reassuring 10/13

I HIGHLY doubt that the mink strain will become a serious threat the world over, especially with awareness that it exists and farmers now being attuned to the need for close monitoring in other parts of the world 11/13

BUT, "reverse spillover" IS a concern. If enough humans continue to be infected, it is plausible that new animal reservoirs will be found and may be more difficult to control in the future. If a more dangerous mutation does emerge, it COULD be trouble 12/13

The best way to prevent novel mutations and cross-over to novel species with risk of worsened contagion or lethality in humans is to limit the spread in humans to begin with. Yes, it's back to us. We must be the higher species to avoid higher risks 13/13