Coronavirus outbreaks on mink farms could speed mutations which can spread back to humans: EU report

Europe's health authority warns the spread of COVID-19 among mink and other animals could hasten and increase the number of coronavirus mutations, which can then potentially jump back to humans.

A statement Tuesday from The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says when COVID-19 starts spreading on a mink farm, the large numbers of animal infections means "the virus can accumulate mutations more quickly in minks and spread back into the human population," reports AP:

The coronavirus evolves constantly as it replicates but, to date, none of the identified mutations have changed anything about COVID-19's transmissibility or lethality.