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. 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, is the basis for an assessment concerning the efficacy of future COVID-19 vaccines. With reference to this risk assessment, as announced at the Prime Minister's press conference on 4 November 2020, a plan with the aim of killing all the country's mink was launched (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. 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. 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