This is very alarming. It may already be happening in the wild as well. Unless a successful cure is found, it doesn't seem vaccination will be the end
Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
51–60 of 274 posts
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#52> Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. Questions: 1. Is this worrisome? 2. If Denmark is catching this, should we be concerned that the virus has mutated in other animals and has thus far gone undetected?
1. Yes. This is serious. Mutation is a big red reset button on the pandemic potentially. 2. No. Minks are kept in small cages with a very high density of biomass. This makes it a perfect incubator. Also ferrets have some similarities with humans in the upper respiratory system, making this more of a concern.
There aren't millions upon millions of ferrets kept at this density though.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#53Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#54That's horrible, and how can anyone find that ok. Per "Guns, Germs, and Steel", it's not even strategic, because diversification of existing strains should naturally select the least deadly, as well as spread antibodies across species boundaries.
They live on factory farms and then are killed for their fur. Frankly, this is a mercy killing.
Furs can still be collected and sterilized maybe?
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#55> Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. Questions: 1. Is this worrisome? 2. If Denmark is catching this, should we be concerned that the virus has mutated in other animals and has thus far gone undetected?
The same story has been in the Dutch news. Apparently the virus has crossed three times between human and mink. His tone is satirical but the facts check out: https://youtu.be/LOT9BTMVRUI
For context: this is basically the Dutch John Oliver, so not necessarily "the news" but arguably more reliable in terms of information.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it that much worse than farming hogs? Most of that is done in cages too small to turn around or stand. Live transport and slaughter is also amazingly horrific.
Why do we have to compare it? Multiple things can be terrible and require changes.
The issue is very much analogous. Lots of pigs getting culled (in many cases burned and/or buried alive on a grand scale) because they are infected with diseases that are dangerous to humans. Corona included.
I just keep being surprised that there is consensus forming around mink but the hog issue, which is very similar and actually a bigger problem by numbers, is not really part of the mainstream debate. For some reason being against mink farming is much more acceptable than being against hog farming and this is reflected in policy.
It could be because the interests of hog farmers and consumers of hog are a much bigger part of society. But the harm is also that much bigger.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Humans raise mink in horrible conditions just to be slaughtered so we can make a fashion statement. Then, when the very conditions we created become an inconvenience to us, we slaughter them and fail to make even frivolous use of them, rendering their tortured lives even more pointless and sad. After all that you have to be pretty callous and self-important as a species to think "Humans > Minks"
I completely agree with your first paragraph, but humans > minks by literally any measure.
This is a bit self-referential.
'Humans are the best therefore human measures are the best therefore humans are the best'
[Caged] minks probably don't think that humans > minks by any measure that they value.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#58> Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. Questions: 1. Is this worrisome? 2. If Denmark is catching this, should we be concerned that the virus has mutated in other animals and has thus far gone undetected?
1. Yes. This is serious. Mutation is a big red reset button on the pandemic potentially. 2. No. Minks are kept in small cages with a very high density of biomass. This makes it a perfect incubator. Also ferrets have some similarities with humans in the upper respiratory system, making this more of a concern.
> Mutation is a big red reset button on the pandemic potentially.
Only on the vaccination / immunity front - the biggest problem was that there initially were no tests or lab capacities for tests, plus a total collapse of PPE stockpiles and supply. That's ... at least decently solved.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why are you putting the blame on the whole of humanity? Go place the blame on well off white western women, who are probably the main consumers of such products. I literally never owned anything made of out fur, let alone mink fur.
The ACTAsia report "China's fur trade" points out that China is the world's largest importer of raw furs, and also consumes 80% of finished fur goods domestically. ( https://www.actasia.org/resources/ ) If you've got something that says otherwise, let's have it. When you jump to conclusions you don't describe the world at large, you only describe yourself.
This may need to be modified for the fact that Western 'fake fur' often tests out as real fur with an obscured supply chain.
Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus
#60I hope that ends the industry. And make the state provide better/different jobs for the people affected.
Denmark is not a socialist/communist/marxist country, it is not the Danish state's function to provide jobs for people.
Retraining employees is something that does not require an authoritarian-left dictatorship.
Germany, ruled by conservatives for far too long now, does this too - it's called "Umschulung".