A mutant that killed fifteen million people.
The mutation of the coronavirus in mink in Denmark, transmissible to humans, which had been deemed problematic because it could potentially threaten the effectiveness of a future vaccine, is "very probably extinct", the Danish ministry for Health.
"No other case of the mutation from mink, Cluster 5, has been detected since September 15, which is why the Institute in charge of infectious diseases (SSI) considers that this mutation is very probably extinct", a the ministry wrote in a statement, announcing the lifting of most restrictions in the affected region.
SSI identified four other mutations originating in mink but which do not present the same problem as cluster 5, which had been detected in 12 people in August and September, and which appeared to weaken the antibodies.
According to the ministry, the results of sequencing the virus in North Jutland between October 26 and November 8 show that 20% to 28% of all samples sequenced were positive for a mutation from mink, compared to 43 to 52% of samples from the previous two weeks.
The detection of this mutation had prompted Denmark to order the slaughter of its entire herd of 15 to 17 million mink.
Five other countries - the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the United States - have reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms.
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VIDEO. Coronavirus mutation: 15 million mink slaughtered in Denmark
