Cluster 5

Cluster 5 is a designation used by the Danish Statens Serum Institut for a virus variant described by the institute in autumn 2020, in connection with investigations of SARS-CoV-2 infection among mink and humans in the north of Jutland, Denmark.^[1]

On 3 November 2020, the institute delivered a risk assessment, in which a preliminary experiment with this virus variant described on one and a half pages,^[2] is the basis for an assessment concerning the efficacy of future COVID-19 vaccines.^[3] With reference to this risk assessment, as announced at the Prime Minister's press conference on 4 November 2020,^[4] a plan with the aim of killing all the country's mink was launched^[5] (see The Mink Case) and a lockdown with tightened restrictions was introduced in seven North Jutland municipalities.

At the time the decision to kill all Danish mink was made, the virus variant had last been detected on 15 September 2020.^[6]^[7] After subsequent testing and sequencing of positive samples in the seven North Jutland municipalities, the date of the latest finding was still 15 September 2020.^[8] The World Health Organization wrote on 6 November 2020 with reference to the preliminary experiment, that "Further scientific and laboratory-based studies are required to verify preliminary findings reported and to understand any potential implications of this finding in terms of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines in development."^[9]

The Danish Medicines Agency was asked for its assessment of the virus variant, the day after the government had decided to kill all the country's mink.^[10] The agency concludes in its assessment that the mutations that characterize the virus variant are not likely to have substantial impact on the efficacy of first-generation vaccines.^[11]

^ Tyra Grove Krause (5 November 2020). "Mutationer i minkvirus" [Mutations in mink virus]. Statens Serum Institut.
^ "Assessing cross-neutralization activity for SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants" (PDF). Statens Serum Institut. 2 November 2020.
^ "MFVM har anmodet SUM om en risikovurdering ift. human sundhed, hvis minkavlere efter aflivning af smittede dyr eller pelsning i 2020-sæsonen, fortsætter minkproduktionen ind i 2021 som normalt. Der er alene brug for en vurdering af risiko, ikke forslag til mulige løsninger" [MFVM has requested SUM for a risk assessment in relation to human health, if mink breeders, after killing infected animals or furring in the 2020 season, continue mink production into 2021 as normal. There is only a need for an assessment of risk, not proposals for possible solutions.] (PDF). Statens Serum Institut. 3 November 2020.
^ "Pressemøde den 4. november 2020". Statsministeriet. 4 November 2020.
^ Steffen Nyboe McGhie og Selin Türker (8 November 2020). "Regeringen vil slå alle landets mink ned, men har endnu ikke lovgivningen på plads" [The government wants to kill all the country's mink, but does not yet have the legislation in place]. Berlingske.
^ Sebastian Abrahamsen (18 November 2020). "Allerede inden nedlukning af Nordjylland mente Kåre Mølbak, at cluster 5 kunne være »uddød«" [Even before the lockdown of North Jutland, Kåre Mølbak believed that cluster 5 could be »extinct«]. Information.
^ Christian Birk, Flemming Pedersen og Philip Dam (6 November 2020). "Minkmutation, der har ført til masseaflivninger og stor nedlukning, er med stor sandsynlighed allerede uddød: »Jeg vil vurdere, at den sagtens kan være forsvundet«" [The mink mutation, which has led to mass culling and a major lockdown, is very likely already extinct: »I would assess that it could easily have disappeared«]. Berlingske.
^ "De fleste restriktioner lempes i Nordjylland" [Most restrictions are relaxed in North Jutland]. Sundhedsministeriet. 19 November 2020.
^ "SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark". World Health Organization. 6 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020.
^ Andreas Østergaard, Camilla Stampe, Sofie Frøkjær og Nikolaj Arve (17 November 2020). "Detektor: Regeringen besluttede at aflive mink uden at spørge central myndighed" [Detector: The government decided to kill mink without asking central authority]. DR Detektor.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "Implications of mutations in the spike protein of Danish mink-de-rived SARS-CoV-2 isolates for vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapeutics" (PDF). Danish Medicines Agency. 9 November 2020.

[SSI_05112020-1] Tyra Grove Krause (5 November 2020). "Mutationer i minkvirus" [Mutations in mink virus]. Statens Serum Institut.

[2] "Assessing cross-neutralization activity for SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants" (PDF). Statens Serum Institut. 2 November 2020.

[SSI_assessment_03112020-3] "MFVM har anmodet SUM om en risikovurdering ift. human sundhed, hvis minkavlere efter aflivning af smittede dyr eller pelsning i 2020-sæsonen, fortsætter minkproduktionen ind i 2021 som normalt. Der er alene brug for en vurdering af risiko, ikke forslag til mulige løsninger" [MFVM has requested SUM for a risk assessment in relation to human health, if mink breeders, after killing infected animals or furring in the 2020 season, continue mink production into 2021 as normal. There is only a need for an assessment of risk, not proposals for possible solutions.] (PDF). Statens Serum Institut. 3 November 2020.

[4] "Pressemøde den 4. november 2020". Statsministeriet. 4 November 2020.

[5] Steffen Nyboe McGhie og Selin Türker (8 November 2020). "Regeringen vil slå alle landets mink ned, men har endnu ikke lovgivningen på plads" [The government wants to kill all the country's mink, but does not yet have the legislation in place]. Berlingske.

[6] Sebastian Abrahamsen (18 November 2020). "Allerede inden nedlukning af Nordjylland mente Kåre Mølbak, at cluster 5 kunne være »uddød«" [Even before the lockdown of North Jutland, Kåre Mølbak believed that cluster 5 could be »extinct«]. Information.

[7] Christian Birk, Flemming Pedersen og Philip Dam (6 November 2020). "Minkmutation, der har ført til masseaflivninger og stor nedlukning, er med stor sandsynlighed allerede uddød: »Jeg vil vurdere, at den sagtens kan være forsvundet«" [The mink mutation, which has led to mass culling and a major lockdown, is very likely already extinct: »I would assess that it could easily have disappeared«]. Berlingske.

[sum19nov-8] "De fleste restriktioner lempes i Nordjylland" [Most restrictions are relaxed in North Jutland]. Sundhedsministeriet. 19 November 2020.

[WHO_06112020-9] "SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark". World Health Organization. 6 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020.

[10] Andreas Østergaard, Camilla Stampe, Sofie Frøkjær og Nikolaj Arve (17 November 2020). "Detektor: Regeringen besluttede at aflive mink uden at spørge central myndighed" [Detector: The government decided to kill mink without asking central authority]. DR Detektor.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[11] "Implications of mutations in the spike protein of Danish mink-de-rived SARS-CoV-2 isolates for vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapeutics" (PDF). Danish Medicines Agency. 9 November 2020.

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