Immediate Actions in response to mink-variant SARS-CoV-2 virus in Denmark
Immediate Actions for the NHS:
• Individuals should not be seeking routine outpatient, ambulatory or primary care, elective treatment while in their 14 days of isolation after return from Denmark. Primary and secondary care organisations should assess that an individual has returned from Denmark and delay elective and non-urgent treatment until after the 14 days of isolation.
• Any individual with a travel history from Denmark in the preceding 14 days who requires emergency assessment or admission to hospital should be managed in strict isolation in a single room with en-suite bathroom facilities.
• Standard COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn.
• These individuals should be tested on admission and every 5 days while in hospital. Standard PCR assays used in Denmark detected these individuals. Current PCR assays in use should continue to be used for testing.
• If they test positive, transfer to a specialised infectious diseases centre should occur for further management by immediately contacting NHSE Regional EPRR/First on call who will arrange the transfer to the commissioned units.
• If an individual who has returned from Denmark is identified with COVID-19 in the community, then Public Health England will contact NHS England EPRR on call to arrange inpatient care in a specialised infectious diseases centre
• Positive samples in individuals who have returned from Denmark in the previous 14 days should immediately be sent to Public Health England, Colindale for whole genome sequencing.