Fear following mutation detected in mink in Denmark • Will vaccines against the virus be less effective?
• Prof. Eyal Leshem answers all burning issues
The miners are a cause for concern
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Following the discovery of a new mutation of the virus in mink in Denmark, Prof. Eyal Leshem, an expert in infectious diseases and director of the Institute of Tropical Diseases in Sheba, answers the important questions.
What is that corona mutation that originated in mink in Denmark?
"The mutation in the corona virus was discovered among corona patients who came in contact with mink while working on mink breeding farms for the fur industry in Europe."
How different is the mutation from the original virus known so far in the world?
"The hypothesis is that the new mutation may affect the envelope protein of the corona virus, resulting in impairing the effectiveness of corona vaccines."
Is it known to what extent the same mutated virus is dangerous to humans?
"There are about 100 corona vaccines currently being developed around the world. The mutation may affect the effectiveness of some of the vaccines targeting the envelope protein of the virus, and the effectiveness of some of the vaccines may not be affected."
How contagious is the new mutation compared to the virus we are familiar with?
"At this stage, there is no information about the effect of the mutation on the degree of violence and infection of the virus. However, it is known that traits such as the degree of violence or the rate of infection vary only in rare cases."