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please read page 14 to page 19

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NIH
Accessed on the 10th May 2022

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As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, safe and effective vaccines are playing a pivotal role in preventing severe disease and death and limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid vaccine development and testing. Fortunately, NIAID's decades-long support and conduct of coronavirus and vaccine research laid the groundwork for helping to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in record speed.
COVID-19 Animal Models
Animal research plays a key role in developing successful vaccines for humans. Before promising vaccine candidates can be tested in humans, they must first be tested for safety and effectiveness in animals as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To do this, scientists first determine whether a vaccine candidate can stimulate an adequate and safe immune response. This important step is often conducted using small and then, potentially, larger animal models of disease. Mice are frequently used because they reproduce rapidly, have a well-characterized immune system and a defined genome. Some labs turned to mouse models of infection early in the COVID-19 pandemic only to find that mice don't get infected with SARS-CoV-2. In order to infect cells, SARS-CoV-2 must bind to a human protein called ACE2. The human and mouse ACE2 proteins are different, and SARS-CoV-2 does not bind to mouse cells. Scientists overcame this problem by generating mice that can express the human version of ACE2 and can therefore be infected with SARS-CoV-2. When these genetically modified mice are infected by the virus, they lose weight and become sick in ways that are similar to what happens when people are infected with the virus. Mouse models provided vital information about COVID-19 symptoms and its disease course and continues to be used by researchers to understand COVID-19 disease.

Syrian hamsters are another important animal model for COVID-19 because disease in those animals closely resembles the disease in humans. Additionally, older male hamsters develop more severe disease than young female hamsters, which reflects some of the differences seen in humans infected by SARS-CoV-2. Hamster models have contributed to the evaluation of investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidates, immunotherapies, and antiviral drugs.

Vaccine development for COVID-19 also benefitted from nonhuman primate studies. In assessing immunogenicity and protection of vaccines in pre-clinical animal models, nonhuman primates provide several advantages for clinical translation. They are outbred, have greater similarity to humans than rodents in innate immune responses and B- and T-cell repertoires, and allow use of clinically-relevant vaccine doses. Recent studies in nonhuman primates show that SARS-CoV-2 targets similar replication sites and recapitulates some aspects of COVID-19 disease. Nonhuman primates are used during the later stages of vaccine development and typically build upon the knowledge accumulated in earlier small animal studies.
A New Type of Vaccine
The biopharmaceutical companies Moderna, Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass., and Pfizer, Inc., based in New York City, developed a new type of nucleic acid vaccine called an mRNA vaccine that when tested in clinical trials, proved to be more than 90 percent effective at preventing COVID-19. Animal studies contributed to the scientific understanding of how these new types of mRNA vaccines work. For example, when the 2016 Zika virus outbreak occurred, researchers developed a nucleic acid vaccine that protected against Zika virus infection in mice and nonhuman primates. The Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines use the nucleic acid, messenger RNA (mRNA) to produce the viral spike protein found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2. Because mRNA is unstable, it is enclosed in lipid nanoparticles to prevent it from degrading following injection. Cells then produce the viral spike protein and display it on their surfaces. In this form, the viral spike protein is recognized by the body and triggers an immune response. This response includes the production of antiviral antibodies and T- cell responses that allow the body to remember how to fight off SARS-CoV-2 if infected in the future.

Preclinical data with Moderna's mRNA vaccine produced promising results in animal models. Mouse experiments demonstrated that a low dose of the vaccine induced a robust neutralizing antibody response and a high-level protection against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, vaccination of nonhuman primates with the mRNA vaccine induced robust SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activity and notably, rapid protection in the upper and lower airways, similar to safety and immunogenicity results subsequently observed in a phase I human clinical study.
Looking to the Future
Biomedical studies involving animal models have greatly contributed to the public health response to SARS-CoV-2 by assisting in the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Animal studies will continue to provide vital information as new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge and new questions arise as to the transmissibility of these variants, whether they are more harmful to people, and if they remain sensitive to available vaccines. Animal models play a critical role in pandemic response efforts as they are necessary for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of new vaccines and therapeutics. Scientists will continue building on the lessons learned from COVID to develop animal models as part of our pandemic preparedness efforts to target other emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases.

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The Important Role of Animal Research in mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Development

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As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, safe and effective vaccines are playing a pivotal role in preventing severe disease and death and limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid vaccine development and testing.

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YouTube. "Do You Know What Happened to the Animals Trapped in Labs During COVID-19?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxKPKQgcUKo. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

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Do You Know What Happened to the Animals Trapped in Labs During COVID-19?

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https://headlines.peta.org/end-experiments-on-animals-for-covid-19/

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he scope and scale of the coronavirus crisis has brought misery to millions of people and changed the way we live and work. Ending this pandemic will also require a paradigm shift within the scientific community. Even though much remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Experimenting on animals squanders precious time and resources when both are in short supply."
-Dr. Samantha Saunders, a veterinary surgeon at the PETA Foundation (U.K.) who holds a Ph.D. in coronavirology
FOR MEDIA RESOURCES Podcasts Warnings by Experts: Animal Tests

1. Like all viruses, the novel coronavirus impacts different species differently.

We know that monkeys infected with COVID-19 don't develop the severe symptoms that we see in humans.

When asked about seemingly promising experimental results in rhesus macaques, Dr. Malcolm Martin, a virologist with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), "cautioned that monkeys are different from humans in important ways."

This means that findings from other animals may not apply to humans and may instead mislead researchers, squandering valuable time and money and leaving patients waiting for treatments.

For example, a recent study found that hydroxychloroquine can block SARS-CoV-2 infections in one species of monkey, thanks to a specific enzyme found in that animal. However, humans lack that enzyme-hence, the drug's failure in clinical trials. Bottom line: Monkeys aren't good stand-ins for humans.

2. Experimental vaccines for other coronaviruses offered protection to other animals but failed in humans.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2002 and 2012, respectively.

Animal experimenters have infected mice, ferrets, rhesus macaques, African green monkeys, marmosets, hamsters, camels, rabbits, alpacas, horses, and other animals with these viruses.

Some resulting experimental vaccines showed promise, producing antibodies that neutralized the viruses. However, none of them were approved for humans.

3. Experiments on animals divert time and funding from superior, non-animal methods.

In order to speed up the development of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and NIH greenlit landmark human clinical vaccine trials without first requiring extensive tests on animals.

Companies are usually required to spend years putting animals through the agony of new product tests before human clinical trials are allowed to begin, even though those tests don't accurately predict whether a drug will work in humans. NIH itself reports that 95 out of every 100 new drugs that test safe and effective in animal tests fail in humans.

While the historic decisions by NIH and the FDA won't stop all tests on animals for the vaccine, they pave the way for safe, straight-to-human vaccine trials.

4. Injecting the virus into monkeys risks creating a new variant-and the fact that the virus mutates is further evidence that monkeys are bad "models" to use when studying COVID-19.

Research done by David Matthews, a University of Bristol coronavirologist, definitively shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus adapts to and mutates in monkey tissues. So monkeys infected with the virus end up with an additional infection that's the result of the mutation. Commenting on the scientific havoc that this development could produce, Matthews says, "[I]t could again basically make a mess of your vaccine trial by creating anomalous results that you misinterpret as either the vaccine is working or it's not working."

5. School closures caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus led to the mass killing of countless animals who were slated to be used in crude and worthless experiments in university laboratories.

The experiments were deemed not "essential," while the animals were considered "extraneous" and expendable.

PETA is calling on universities to revamp their research programs and to use this crisis as an opportunity to close down their animal laboratories and switch to sophisticated, non-animal research methods. Join us!

6. Around the globe, a number of non-animal tests are already underway, aimed at developing a vaccine or an effective treatment for COVID-19.

Given the scale and seriousness of this pandemic, researchers can't afford to waste time conducting useless experiments on animals.

Check out these innovative, animal-free COVID-19 experiments that allow researchers to avoid cruel, archaic tests on animals in favor of cutting-edge, human-relevant methods.

7. Thousands of monkeys imprisoned in laboratories are susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus, and they have no line of defense against it.

Many novel coronavirus infections have been, thereby increasing the likelihood that lab staff may have already exposed these sensitive animals to the virus. Laboratories could very well become dangerous hotbeds for COVID-19, with a negative impact on experimental results.

Any experiments conducted on monkeys compromised with the novel coronavirus would be worthless. That's why PETA is demanding that one facility, the Washington National Primate Research Center, immediately stop all experiments on primates and transfer the animals to sanctuaries, where they can live in peace for the remainder of their lives. Please help us.

Listen Now:

Learn More on The PETA Podcast

Take Action Now!

PETA's action alerts make it possible for you to take action for animals with the quick click of a button. Even if you're quarantined or working from home, it takes just a minute to help countless living, feeling beings used in experiments.

Below, there are multiple opportunities to help. As soon as you take one action below, another will automatically appear in its place.

Just enter your information once, and then keep clicking the "Send Message" button until you've completed them all. Once you've finished, be sure to with your friends, family members, and social media followers. Encourage them to join you in taking action for animals today and every day.

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COVID-19 Experiments on Animals: Facts, Alternatives

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he scope and scale of the coronavirus crisis has brought misery to millions of people and changed the way we live and work. Ending this pandemic will also require a paradigm shift within the scientific community. Even though much remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Experimenting on animals squanders precious time and resources when both are in short supply."

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YouTube. "Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., Comments on the Critical Role of Animals in Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXP1PQHLEq8. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., Comments on the Critical Role of Animals in Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine

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https://www.amprogress.org/covid-19-resources/covid19animalresearch/

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Animal studies are essential for advancing medicine and science. This includes the current global quest for treatments and a vaccine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are recent news stories that feature the role of animals in this important work.

January 25, 2022

January 24, 2022

Outsourcing Pharma: Charles River joins with immunology lab on COVID-19 research

January 22, 2022

MSN: Army leads the race for a 'universal COVID vaccine' that could end coronavirus pandemic

January 20, 2022

Iowa State University: The cellular response that protects pigs from COVID-19

The Indian Express: Study says by itself, Omicron does not boost immunity level

January 19, 2022

Nature: How the COVID-19 pandemic might age us

University of Liverpool: Omicron leads to less severe disease in mice, study finds

January 18, 2022

BioPharma Reporter: Using mice models to gain insight into immune response to SARS-CoV-2

University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine: UW-Madison Researchers Lead Effort to Create a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine

January 17, 2022

News Medical: An alternative mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection

January 14, 2022

Medical News Today: Does Omicron cause less damage to the lungs?

January 12, 2022

CNET: US Army's 'super vaccine' could protect against all COVID variants. What do we know?

Yahoo: Henley Ion Announces Promising Technology Developed to Protect Against COVID-19 and Emerging Variants

MSN: Is Omicron really less severe than Delta? Here's what the science says.

January 7, 2022

Yahoo: Study: COVID-19 antibodies passed to infants through breastmilk

Good Morning America: New study shows COVID-19 vaccines reduce risk of severe illness, death

WKBN: Study shows COVID-19 vaccine may temporarily lengthen menstrual cycle

News Medical: Study shows probiotics can reduce symptoms of COVID-19 when taken post-exposure

January 5, 2022

Medical Express: Omicron might have come from a mouse, but what kind of mouse?

January 3, 2022

UPI: Omicron COVID-19 causes less lung damage in animal studies

January 2, 2022

The Guardian: New studies reinforce belief that Omicron is less likely to damage lungs

December 31, 2021

New York Times: Omicron Doesn't Infect the Lungs Very Well, Animal Studies Find

WQOW: UW-Madison researchers say sharks hold potential for future COVID-19 treatment

December 20, 2021

News Medical: Humanized mice reveals why few COVID-19 cases are more severe than others

December 17, 2021

Yale University: Why are some COVID cases more severe? 'Humanized' mice offer a clue

December 16, 2021
NPR: COVID can lead to lasting harm to the brain, scientists find
National Institutes of Health: NIH scientists urge pursuit of universal coronavirus vaccine

December 14, 2021

News Medical: Timing of exposure critical for SARS-CoV-2 transmission according to animal study

NPR: COVID can cause long-term injuries to the brain. Here's what scientists have learned

December 13, 2021

FOX31 Denver: Nasal COVID vaccines may be on the way for those who have needle fear

December 12, 2021

News Medical: Nasal infection drives lethal lung injury due to SARS-CoV-2 in mice

December 10, 2021

Devdiscourse: Two common drugs found effective against Covid in early testing

December 9, 2021

The Scientist Magazine: The Rise of COVID-19 Vaccines for Animals
December 8, 2021
PBS NewsHour: Some experts suggest omicron variant may have evolved in an animal host

November 10, 2021

Medical Express: Immune system early responder can combat COVID-19

University of Miami: Researchers develop a 'net' to prevent the coronavirus from entering cells

The Jerusalem Post: COVID: Scientists find super-antibody that might help fight new variants

The Daily Mail: Scientists discover an antibody that can protect people against several coronaviruses

November 9, 2021

Tulane University: Tulane researchers examine relationship between viral dose and COVID-19 severity

News Medical: SARS-CoV-2 leaves long-term impact on olfactory neurocircuit

Al Jazeera: The Valneva COVID-19 vaccine: Why it might be a game-changer

November 8, 2021

Brown University: Study offers insights on why the elderly are more susceptible to COVID-19

November 5, 2021

Science Times: COVID-19 Found to Infect Neurons Through Nose, Passing Blood Barrier and Causing Brain Fogs

November 4, 2021

November 1, 2021

WIRED: The Race Is On to Develop a Vaccine Against Every Coronavirus

October 29, 2021

Medical Express: Needle-free vaccine patches coming soon, say researchers and makers

October 27, 2021

News Medical: What Role does Endothelial Infection Play in SARS-CoV-2 Infection?

October 26, 2021

Slate: The First Shots Book Excerpt: How the COVID-19 vaccine race kicked off

October 21, 2021

National Institutes of Health: COVID vaccine booster increases antibody responses, is protective in rhesus macaques

ET HealthWorld: COVID-19: Children with mild COVID-19 may not develop antibodies; oral vaccine booster shows promise in monkey study

October 19, 2021

BioWorld: New vaccine targets multiple coronaviruses in mice

October 18, 2021

Yahoo: Japanese scientists develop radical new vaccine that could prevent future coronavirus pandemics

October 17, 2021

News 4 Buffalo: Scientists develop new strategy to fight coronaviruses, vaccinate against future pandemics

October 15, 2021

FierceBiotech: Inhalable anti-COVID-19 antibody from TFF and Augmenta tamps down viral load in hamsters

October 14, 2021

WFLA: Ivermectin is a Nobel Prize-winning wonder drug - but not for COVID-19

October 13, 2021

The Minnesota Daily: Researchers develop possible COVID-19 vaccine made with a pseudo-virus particle

San Antonio Report: A way to see Covid: Texas Biomed scientists create trackable virus

October 6, 2021

Yahoo: Vanderbilt involved in another big pandemic development

Medical News Today: COVID-19: New drug combo may combat coronavirus infection

October 4, 2021

News Medical: Study looks at immunosuppressants and COVID vaccine efficacy

September 27, 2021

Savannah Now: Molnupiravir, pill-based treatment for COVID, developed at Emory

News Medical: Researchers discover protein previously unknown to be involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection

September 23, 2021

NBC: A daily pill to treat Covid could be just months away, scientists say

September 22, 2021

Express: Covid breakthrough as LLAMA antibodies have 'significant potential' to eliminate virus

September 21, 2021

News Medical: New cell-free antibody generation platform successfully creates neutralizing antibodies effective against SARS-CoV-2

September 15, 2021

The Hill: No-fridge coronavirus vaccine looks promising: study

September 14, 2021

Medical News Today: Experimental COVID-19 vaccine may offer hope to low income countries

September 13, 2021

Independent Record: UM hantavirus study has COVID implications

News Medical: Age-related differences in immune dynamics in rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2

September 11, 2021

Cyprus Mail: Brazilian viper venom may become tool in fight against Covid, study shows

September 10, 2021
Connexion France: News Medical: Virus-like nanoparticle vaccine effective against SARS-CoV-2 in animal model Promising results in animal tests of French Covid nasal spray vaccine
KHOU- TV: COVID vaccine technology used against cancer?
Ophthalmology Times: Technology Networks: Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Animals Against COVID-19 Technology Networks: Researchers Study Animals to Develop Nanobodies and Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 News Medical: The Weather Channel: US Researchers Identify Enzyme Responsible for Severe COVID-19 in Diabetes Patients Highly neutralizing human convalescent plasma reduces lung inflammation in SARS-CoV-2-infected macaques Nonhuman primateresearchdemonstrates lasting immunity and protection from COVID-19 by single-shot, room-temperature, stable vaccine
USA Today: Fact check - The COVID-19 vaccines all passed animal studies

September 9, 2021

September 8, 2021

September 7, 2021

September 2, 2021

Yale News: In the immune arsenal, antibodies offer best long-term hope against COVID

September 1, 2021

News Medical: Study shows bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine can protect mice against lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge

Reuters: Pfizer, Merck launch new trials of oral COVID-19 drugs

August 31, 2021

Reuters: Brazilian viper venom may become tool in fight against coronavirus, study shows

August 30, 2021

Biomedical Primate Research Centre: Researchers study long-term activation of the immune system after mild COVID-19 in monkeys

August 25, 2021

Nature: Animal studies help answer important questions about COVID vaccines and blood clots

SciTech Daily: Time-Restricted Eating Has Important Health Benefits - Even With Infectious Diseases Such As COVID-19

August 24, 2021

Fierce Biotech: The link between COVID-19, rattlesnake venom and a killer enzyme inspires treatment target

August 23, 2021

Illinois News Today: Animal research allows scientists to capture on camera the progression of the COVID-19 virus

Yahoo: Animal studies help scientists develop a powerful antibody to be used against several COVID-19 variants; make breakthrough cases less infectious

HealthDay: Following research in animals, study Gives Hope for 'Dream' Vaccine Against All COVID Variants

August 18, 2021

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: The Important Role of Animal Research in mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Development

Medical Express: Version 2.0' of COVID-19 vaccine quickly kicks immune system into high gear

Technology Networks: Developing Better Intranasal Vaccines for COVID-19 and Flu

Yahoo: With fluvoxamine, doctors find an old drug that may actually work against COVID-19

August 17, 2021

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: Antibodies elicited by COVID-19 vaccination effective against delta variant

August 16, 2021

Nasdaq: GSK, CureVac's next-gen COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in monkey trial

August 12, 2021

Northeastern University: Could there be an even more effective COVID-19 vaccine? This professor thinks so

August 11, 2021

ScienceDaily: Understanding lung damage in patients with COVID-19

ScienceDaily: A COVID-19 vaccine strategy to give the body 'border protection': Study in animals shows a way to promote immune response in nose, mouth and blood

August 10, 2021

News Medical: SARS-CoV-2 variants and their ability to infect mice

Outstanding Pharma: UIC studying IV drug as potential COVID-19 treatment

News Medical: Study shows efficacy of gamma irradiation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in mouse model

August 5, 2021

Tulane University: Tulane researchers design nanotechnology blood test to find hidden COVID-19 infections

July 29, 2021

GeekWire: 'We've been instrumental': How Seattle became a hub for COVID-19 vaccine research
University of Pennsylvania: The long view on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy
July 20, 2021

News Medical: Yeast expressed, RBD-based vaccine provides robust immune responses against SARS-CoV-2

July 19, 2021

New Atlas: New heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine readies for human trials

July 15, 2021

Nature: The US is boosting funding for research monkeys in the wake of COVID

July 13, 2021

HealthDay: Inhaled COVID Vaccine Shows Promise in Animal Trials

SciTech Daily: Virologists Demonstrate Successful Treatment for SARS-CoV-2, the Virus That Causes COVID-19

July 12, 2021

News Medical: mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine CV07050101 demonstrates limited immunogenicity in non-human primates

The Hill: New one-dose COVID-19 vaccine that can be inhaled tested in animals

July 11, 2021

New Atlas: Several inhalable COVID-19 vaccines move to human trials

Drug Target Review: Metabolic pathway could potentially enhance vaccine effectiveness

FierceBiotech: New insights into how stem cells shield against RNA viruses could boost COVID-19 R&D

June 29, 2021

France 24: Could your face mask detect Covid? - France 24

SciTech Daily: "Nanodecoys" - Made From Human Lung Spheroid Cells - Bind and Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Virus
GenEng News:SARS-CoV-2 Variants May Succumb to Multivalent Nanobodies
June 25, 2021

June 24, 2021

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: Virus that causes COVID-19 can find alternate route to infect cells

June 23, 2021

News Medical: Study finds no evidence for remdesivir's benefit in severe COVID-19 patients
News Medical: Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and simian adenovirus vector advance COVID-19 vaccine research
Howard Hughes Medical Institute: 'Universal Vaccine' Could Protect Against Future Coronaviruses
The Hill: Regeneron antibody cocktail cut COVID-19 deaths in some cases: research
Economic Times: New universal coronavirus vaccine may help prevent future pandemics

Drug Target Review: Novel vaccine against coronaviruses protects mice from infection

WRAL Technology Wire: UNC researchers develop potential universal coronavirus vaccine

Channel New Asia: Dual-antibody drugs effective against COVID-19 variants in animal study

Science Daily: Antibody disease enhancement of COVID-19 does not appear to occur in animal models: The finding in animals is important for vaccine development and therapies using COVID antibodies

News Medical: Researchers identify four substances that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: COVID-19 dual-antibody therapies effective against variants in animal study

Indian Express: New research: Moderna vaccine elicits immune response in infant model

June 18, 2021

June 17, 2021

News 18: Covid-19 May Reactivate Dormant Tuberculosis in Patients, Finds Study

June 16, 2021

June 15, 2021

News Medical: Could urine tests predict kidney injury and mortality in COVID-19?

June 14, 2021

June 13, 2021

New York Times: Moderna, AstraZeneca ... or Both? A Mixed Covid Vaccine Approach
GenEng News: COVID-19 Antiviral Candidate Hobbles RNA Replicase
June 11, 2021

University of Massachusetts Medical School: UMMS research identifies potential antiviral compound for COVID-19, flu, other viral infection

June 10, 2021

ScienceDaily: Common diabetes drug shows promise as treatment for COVID-19 lung inflammation

News Medical: Could the COVID-19 vaccination rollout protect against future coronavirus outbreaks?

The Week: Nasal spray antibody treatment shows promise against COVID-19, variants in mouse study

Drug Target Review: Senolytic drugs reduce COVID-19 symptoms in mice, study shows
Buffalo News: Another Voice: Animal research made Covid vaccines possible
Scientific American: A 'Universal' Coronavirus Vaccine To Prevent the Next Pandemic

Medical Express: Common diabetes drug shows promise as treatment for COVID-19 lung inflammation

ScienceDaily: Preclinical study suggests new approach to reduce COVID-19 death among the elderly

Fierce Biotech: Could a breast cancer candidate treat COVID-19? Polyphor's drug shows dual action in early studies

News Medical: The great promise of antiviral peptides against SARS-CoV-2

KFGO: New antibody drug shows promise in mouse study; vaping may increase lung vulnerability to virus

National Institutes of Health: NIH researchers identify potential new antiviral drug for COVID-19

News Medical: New vaccine candidate with RBD and N protein targets protects against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical trials

National Institutes of Health: NIH launches clinical trial of universal influenza vaccine candidate

WBUR: Next Generation RNA Technology Could Unlock Treatments For Chronic Conditions

News Medical: Antibody cocktail effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in the rhesus macaque model

Reuters: Fact Check-COVID-19 vaccines did not skip animal trials because of animal deaths

CNN: Messenger RNA vaccines: Now proven against coronavirus, the technology can do so much more

Seattle Times: Who really needs coronavirus herd immunity? People with weakened immune systems

Vox: Map: Where the next coronavirus could jump from bats to people

News Medical: Nanobody inhalation found to be effective against COVID-19 in hamsters

Interesting Engineering; Scientists Cured the Coronavirus With Inhalable Nanobodies

Fierce Biotech: Pitt's inhalable 'nanobody' fights off COVID-19 in hamsters at ultralow doses

Next Pittsburgh: Nasal spray gives Pitt researchers a promising new weapon to fight Covid

Drug Target Review: SARS-CoV-2 RNA analysis reveals potential treatment targets

News Medical: New study may pave way for novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

News Medical: Next-generation SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine candidate elicits powerful immunity in preclinical trial

WNCT: Cancer drug could protect against future SARS-CoV-2 illness, study finds

Drug Target Review: GRP78 molecular chaperone revealed as drug target for COVID-19

Live Science: Scientists develop a universal coronavirus vaccine that's highly effective in monkeys

USA Today: Fact check: Pfizer, Moderna, J&J tested COVID-19 vaccines on animals

FierceBiotech: Prepping the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments

News Medical: A SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody with extensive spike binding coverage

News Medical: Enhanced version of CureVac's COVID-19 vaccine could help address supply shortages

Complex: Study Suggests Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines May Help Prevent Other Pandemics

AVMA: Study results suggest lab mice susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 variants

WYVY-TV: Nasal vaccine yields promising results in mice

Newsweek: A 'Universal Vaccine' May Soon Protect Against All Coronaviruses, Including the Common Cold

The Week: New vaccine blocks novel coronavirus, variants in animal study

Medpage Today: Nasal Vaccines for COVID-19?

Nature: Mice with severe COVID symptoms could speed vaccine effort

WBRC: Nasal vaccine yields promising results in mice

Grand Forks Herald: Medical research, after COVID-19 success, enjoys its star turn
News Medical: Vaccine candidate targeting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein elicits protective immune response in animal model
News Medical: Researchers design compounds that prevent SARS-CoV-2 entry in human lung cells

News Medical: The "key" to vaccine development depends on virus' binding to human cells

Medical Express: Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows sterilizing immunity in preclinical tests

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham: Duke doctors develop new pan coronavirus vaccine, which shows promising results in blocking COVID variants in animals

The University of Alabama at Birmingham: Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows sterilizing immunity in preclinical tests

News Medical: Preclinical study finds sex differences in neurological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Medical Express: Existing drugs may hold the key to curing COVID-19
CBS 17: Potential new vaccine developed by Duke protects monkeys, mice from COVID-19, variants

Chicago Maroon: UChicago Researchers Develop Novel "Nanotrap" COVID-19 Treatment

Science Times: Moderna COVID-19 Booster: Effective Protection Against New Variants, Early Clinical Trial Shows

News Medical: Researchers develop a multivalent vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza

Technology Review: Why mixing vaccines could help boost immunity

News Medical: Pan-COVID-19 vaccine protects mice against SARS-CoV-2 variants

The New York Times: This New Covid Vaccine Could Bring Hope to the Unvaccinated World

Forbes: These Companies Are Working On Covid Vaccines That Could Stop The Next Pandemic
Discover Magazine: How Nanobodies From Llamas, Alpacas And Yeast Could Help Combat COVID-19
University of Texas: Our Immune Systems Blanket the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Antibodies

Medical News Today: Could a nanobody 'cocktail' block SARS-CoV-2?

News Medical: What happens in the first few days of SARS-CoV-2 infection?

News Medical: Hopeaphenol inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern into cells

News Medical: Study reveals new broadly neutralizing and protective antibody against coronaviruses

April 30, 2021

SciTechDaily: SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Alone May Cause COVID-19 Lung Damage - Even Without the Presence of Intact Virus

April 29, 2021

WSET-TV: She deserves every bit of this:' Appomattox Co. woman helps turn heroes into house pets

April 28, 2021

April 27, 2021

BioSpace: Texas Biomed shares critical work in development of Pfizer COVID vaccine

Insider: Pfizer CEO Says a Pill to Treat COVID Could Be Ready by End of 2021

Medical Express: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone may cause lung damage

April 26, 2021

UPI: Study: ACE inhibitors for blood pressure increase protein that bolsters COVID-19

Medical Express: Is a cheap 'universal' coronavirus vaccine on the way?

STAT: Covid-19 gave scientists a way to study how brain disorders arise

April 24, 2021

April 23, 2021

News Medical: DNA vaccine candidate induces potent immunity, offers protective efficacy in non-human primate models

April 22, 2021

News Medical: Preclinical study from NIH/Moderna: Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 immunity in non-human primates

April 21, 2021

Tulane University: Study determines how to best enhance protection of new COVID-19 vaccine

News Medical: Interfering RNA nanoparticles could be a potential COVID-19 therapy

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: Podcast: A year later, scientists recall efforts to jump-start research into mysterious new coronavirus

The Economic Times: COVID 19 vaccine: New COVID-19 vaccine may provide protection against existing, future strains, scientists say

News Medical: Characterization of lab-produced neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2

News Medical: Study identifies how SARS-CoV-2 enters and infects the brain

April 20, 2021

BusinessWorld: Are vaccines variant-proof? Here's some good news

MSN: Stanford tests new COVID-19 vaccine that can be more easily distributed around the world

April 16, 2021

National Institutes of Health: Experimental antiviral for COVID-19 effective in hamster study

April 15, 2021

Des Moines Register: Opinion: COVID-19 origin study is important to prevent pandemics

April 14, 2021

Reuters: COVID SCIENCE-Moderna vaccines promising vs variants in mouse study; no higher risk for poor outcomes found with UK variant

McGill University: Loss of smell and COVID-19: Up to 80% of those infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus report losing their sense of smell

Reuters: Moderna vaccines promising vs variants in mouse study; no higher risk for poor outcomes found with UK variant

Nature: The race for antiviral drugs to beat COVID - and the next pandemic

Science Tech Daily: Researchers Use Genetics To Identify Potential Drugs for Early Treatment of COVID-19

Wales Online: Mixing covid vaccines could boost immune response, animal research suggests

April 13, 2021

BNN Bloomberg: Moderna says COVID shot remains 90% effective after six months

News Medical: Experimental evidence that ADAM17 inhibition prevents severe COVID-19

News Medical: Researchers develop broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 RBD-based vaccine

National Geographic: Microbes in your gut may be new recruits in the fight against viruses

News Medical: Could Zebrafish larvae be a novel animal model for SARS-CoV-2?

April 12, 2021

Texas A&M University: Texas A&M Researchers Lead Study Of COVID-19 Blocking Enzyme

April 9, 2021

April 5, 2021

April 4, 2021

KMOV TV: How long will coronavirus vaccines protect people?

Stanford Daily: Stanford researchers develop injectable gel that could enhance delivery of COVID-19 vaccine | The Stanford Daily

Big News Network: Study on new heart therapy may be used for COVID-19

April 1, 2021

News Medical: Researchers develop a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain trimer vaccine candidate

March 31, 2021

News Medical: New mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in vivo

Politics Say: Virus Variants Can Infect Mice, Scientists Report

KING5: Washington researchers resume fieldwork after study shows low COVID-19 risk to bats

AVMA: Veterinarians help with COVID-19 vaccine delivery

News Medical: Infliximab may hinder the effectiveness of some COVID-19 vaccines

Medical Express: Fooling coronavirus with new decoy protein renders it impotent

Science Blog: Even After Late Start, Anti-Inflammatory Drug Protects Against Lethal Inflammation From COVID

March 30, 2021

News Medical: Researchers develop broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine

Windsor Star: The future of COVID vaccines? Look to the nose

News Medical: Using ACE2 structure to predict SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in animals

March 29, 2021

Fox 5, San Diego: Researchers developing new type of COVID-19 vaccine in San Diego

March 25, 2021

Herald Courier: Scientists at UVA, Virginia Tech develop possible COVID-19 vaccine

March 24, 2021

Health Europa: Preventing COVID-19 infection of the nervous system

News Leader: UVA and Virginia Tech develop a COVID-19 vaccine that may protect against existing and future strains of the virus

News Medical: Neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in mice depend on Fc effector function

Fierce Biotech: CureVac's COVID-19 mRNA vaccine protects mice against aggressive coronavirus variant

Medical Express: A single vaccine to beat all coronaviruses sounds impossible-but scientists are already working on one

March 23, 2021

News Medical: A new COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice

News Medical: Anti-androgen drugs may help disarm coronavirus spike protein, stop progression of COVID-19

News Medical: Could nanoparticle vaccines offer broad protection against sarbecoviruses?

March 20, 2021

Study Finds: Inhalable COVID vaccine? MIT researchers working on immunization potentially more effective than injection

March 17, 2021

Emory University: Drug launched at Emory reduces virus that causes COVID-19 to undetectable levels

March 15, 2021

Irish Tech News: Invertebrate animals in frontline of battle against Covid-19

March 10, 2021

News Medical: Research demonstrates multivalent nanobodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations

European Pharmaceutical Review: New Finnish company to develop a nasal spray vaccine for COVID-19

March 09, 2021

Union Democrat: RNA worked for COVID-19 vaccines. Could it be used to treat cancer and rare childhood diseases?

Eagle Times: 3 medical innovations fueled by COVID-19 that will outlast the pandemic

Ohio State University: Capitalizing on measles vaccine's successful history to protect against SARS-CoV-2

March 08, 2021

News Medical: Novel bioinformatics tool developed in humans and animals could help improve COVID-19 diagnosis

March 07, 2021

Inquirer: RNA worked for COVID-19 vaccines. Could it be used to treat cancer and rare childhood diseases?

March 4, 2021

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: New evidence COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against variants

News Medical: Cell surface marker CD47 may allow early diagnosis of severe COVID-19

March 03, 2021

AVMA: Racing to save humans through animal research

Yahoo: Multiple sclerosis vaccine could be byproduct of animal studies, COVID-19 technology

News Medical: Novel SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine candidate produces strong neutralizing response in animal studies

March 2, 2021

Nature: The search for animals harbouring coronavirus - and why it matters

March 1, 2021

Scientific American: To Beat COVID, We May Need a Good Shot in the Nose

Washington Post: Can a Vaccinated Person Still Spread the Coronavirus?

New York Times: Future Vaccines Depend on Test Subjects in Short Supply: Monkeys

KLFY: UL Lafayette helps in the development and research of the nation's first available COVID-19 vaccine

News Medical: Research predicts which mammal species can spread SARS-CoV-2

February 21, 2021

News Medical: SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine tested in animal model

CGTN: Influenza virus can promote COVID-19 infection in cells, mice: study

February 17, 2021

Cornell University: Nasal spray blocks COVID-19 infection in ferrets

February 10, 2021

FOX 8 Live: What makes some one a COVID-19 super-spreader?

Indy Week: UNC-Chapel Hill Makes Strides with Drug to Stop COVID-19 Spread

KATC TV: UL reveals role of primate center in vaccine development

February 9, 2021

Tulane University: Researchers unravel what makes someone a COVID-19 super-spreader

CBS 17 TV: UNC COVID-19 treatment sees positive results in mice; human study underway

University of Maryland: Novavax Vaccine Demonstrates Strong Immune Response

New York Times: Could a Single Vaccine Work Against All Coronaviruses?

Medical Express: Antiviral medication works against coronavirus in the lab
WKYC: Researchers at Ohio State University are studying COVID-19 in animals and the environment to identify future pandemic threats
February 08, 2021

News Medical: 4th preclinical study for Novavax in non-human primates, tests SARS-CoV-2 variants

University of Wisconsin: Viral sequencing catches mutations, guides effective public health response

February 05, 2021

Drug Target Review: New COVID-19 vaccine elicits strong protective immunity in mice and monkeys

VOX: Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here's how humans beat it.

University of Chicago: How were researchers able to develop COVID-19 vaccines so quickly?

News Medical: Army scientists evaluate three nonhuman primate models of SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection

February 4, 2021

The Guardian: Covid: Oxford trial to test efficacy of mix of vaccines for individuals

News Medical: Emory MVA COVID-19 vaccine proven safe and effective in mice and monkeys

Full Fact: No evidence that nanoparticles in Covid-19 vaccines affect fertility

Nature: Could mixing COVID vaccines boost immune response?

Medical Express: COVID-19 vaccine developed with new platform proves effective in mice

February 03, 2021

FOX 8: Tulane University to lead national research partnership to speed up COVID-19 vaccine discoveries

News Medical: J&J SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows immunity in non-human primates 6 months after vaccination

February 02, 2021

WKYC: Researchers at Ohio State University are studying COVID-19 in animals and the environment to identify future pandemic threats

February 1, 2021

The New Yorker: The Coronavirus Vaccine Presents a Dilemma for Pregnant Women

Harvard Business Review: We Need to Start Investing in Antiviral Drugs for the Next Pandemic

January 31, 2021

January 30, 2021

Inverse: One Health Component Is Crucial to Help Defeat COVID-19

January 29, 2021

Biopharma Dive: J&J says single dose of coronavirus vaccine 66% effective in large trial

Mount Desert Islander: Mouse research aids COVID-19 response

January 28, 2021

New York Times: What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell?

January 27, 2021

Futurity: COVID'S attack on the brain may explain odd symptoms

January 26, 2021

NIH: Nanoparticle Technology Holds Promise for Protecting Against Many Coronavirus Strains at Once

January 25, 2021

News Medical: Promising nanobodies against COVID-19 produced by llamas

Open Access Government: Studies show promising results for new Oxford COVID-19 vaccine

The Indian Express: New research: Rhesus macaque shows promise as model for Covid-19 vaccine studies

Drug Target Review: Rhesus macaques with SARS-CoV-2 develop promising immune response

Yale University: Scientists unravel mystery of sex disparities in COVID-19 outcomes

Medical News Today: COVID-19 and the brain: What do we know so far?

January 23, 2021

Patch: UC Davis: Rhesus Macaques Develop Promising Immune Response To SARS-CoV-2 Results Suggest Lasting Immunity After Infection

January 22, 2021

FOX 40: Researchers at UC Davis use rhesus monkeys to understand long-term efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Science Daily: NSAIDs might exacerbate or suppress COVID-19 depending on timing, mouse study suggests

Futurity: Hyperimmune Response Model Could Clarify Severe COVID-19

NBC 4 Los Angeles: UC Irvine Scientists Working on COVID-19 Vaccine in Mice That Would Attack All Strains

Futurity: Hyperimmune Response Model Could Clarify Severe COVID-19

January 21, 2021

USA Today: Fact check: The vaccine for COVID-19 has been nearly 20 years in the making

Stanford University: Stanford nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine shows early success in mice

11 Alive: Georgia State research on mice examines how COVID-19 can infect brain

January 20, 2021

News Medical: COVID-19 and Obesity

Medical Express: Mouse research: How does SARS-CoV-2 get in your head and destroy your sense of smell?

January 19, 2021

Tulane University: Tulane identifies potential animal model for studying severe COVID-19 infections

Health Day: Nasal Spray COVID Vaccine Shows Promise in Animal Trials

Eurekalert: Rush researchers demonstrate success with new therapy for COVID-19

January 18, 2021

News Medical: Can transgenic mice studies illuminate neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 in humans?

The Week: Scientists develop novel vaccine platform to prevent future coronavirus pandemics

January 13, 2021

The Conversation: Oxford scientists: how we developed our COVID-19 vaccine in record time

January 12, 2021

Eurekalert: Strategy tested in mice protects against SARS-CoV-2 & coronaviruses that represent human threats

Nature: How COVID unlocked the power of RNA vaccines

Eurekalert: SARS-CoV-2 can infect neurons and damage brain tissue, study indicates

January 11, 2021

WBUR Radio: Why Some Scientists See 'Unlimited' Possibility In Technology Behind COVID-19 Vaccines

The Aggie: UC Davis researchers run COVID-19 childhood vaccine trials on infant primates

Science Daily: Study links severe COVID-19 disease to short telomeres

January 7, 2021

SP Global: Cormac the llama's tiny antibodies could be key to preventing COVID-19 infection

January 6, 2021

Drug Target Review: Macaques and baboons show success as models to study SARS-CoV-2

Lab manager: What Are the Best Animal Models for COVID-19 Research?

January 5, 2021

News center Maine: Jackson Lab researches connection between genetics and COVID-19

Technology Networks: Animal Models of SARS-CoV-2 Evaluated

University of Toronto: The next big step': U of T researchers pursue a treatment for vision loss

January 4, 2021

Stanford University: Stanford single-dose nanoparticle vaccine for COVID-19

New York Times: How Bharat Biotech's Vaccine Works

Medical News Today: COVID-19 pandemic 2020: The search for a vaccine

Global Biodefense: Results of Comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 Non-Human Primate Study Published

Contagion Live: Rhesus Macaques, Baboons and Marmosets as Models for SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Humans

January 03, 2021

The Mercury: "Investing in basic science": K-State research on virus mutations in animals could benefit human fight against COVID-19

December 30, 2020

New York Times: How the Sinopharm Vaccine Works

December 22, 2020

NIH: NIH neuroscientists isolate promising mini antibodies against COVID-19 from a llama

Fierce Pharma: Targeted delivery, oral vaccines and mRNA 2.0: The next generation of drugs and prophylactics in the fight against COVID-19

December 21, 2020

The National Herald: Regeneron's Quest for an Antibody Drug to Fight COVID-19

December 19, 2020

Newsweek: Primates Used in Testing of Juvenile COVID-19 Vaccine Show 'Promising' Results

Biospace: Moderna Announces FDA Authorization of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in U.S.

December 18, 2020

Penn Today: Repurposing a proven gene therapy approach to treat, prevent COVID-19

December 17, 2020

University of Copenhagen: Danish Researchers' Inhalation Treatment for COVID-19 Passes Animal Testing

The Cornell Sun: The COVID-19 Vaccine, Explained by Cornell Virologists

Science Daily: COVID-19 virus enters the brain, research strongly suggest

News Medical: Study shows an inflammatory response in the mice brain is responsible for severe COVID-19

December 16, 2020

The Guardian: WHO research team expected to travel to Wuhan to investigate coronavirus origin

The Conversation: Severe COVID may be caused by 'autoantibodies' - here is what that means

December 15, 2020

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State sells animal-tested COVID-19 vaccine technology to India pharmaceutical company

NIH: Research in nonhuman primate shows antibodies and T cells protect against SARS-CoV-2

December 14, 2020

Futurity: Lab-Made Killer T-Cell Attacks Cells That Cause Diabetes

Fierce Biotech: COVID-19 nasal spray from Eureka Therapeutics protects mice against infection

The Atlantic: How Science Beat the Virus

The Washington Post: Scientists focus on bats for clues to prevent next pandemic

December 12, 2020

The Guardian: Origin story: what do we know now about where coronavirus came from?

December 11, 2020

Drug Target Review: Inhaled vaccine induces strong immune response in animal models

Miami New Times: The COVID Vaccine Is Almost Here - And We Have Monkeys to Thank

News Medical: Study shows how coronavirus uses spike proteins to infiltrate cells of different animals

WABI TV: Some dogs can detect COVID-19 in sweat, study says

December 10, 2020

The Weather Channel: Cats, Dogs Among Most Susceptible Animals to Novel Coronavirus Infection After Humans: Research

December 7, 2020

News medical: Topoisomerase 1 inhibition prevents SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation and death in animal models

Science Daily: Scientists discover how COVID-19 virus causes multiple organ failure in mice

December 4, 2020

New York Times: Could a Blood Test Show if a Covid-19 Vaccine Works?

The Hill: Biotech company seeking FDA approval to test nasal spray as short-term coronavirus protection

KUT Radio: Meet The Lab Mice Helping Scientists Find A COVID-19 Vaccine

December 3, 2020

News Medical: Novel "multitope" vaccine shows promise in the fight against COVID-19

Fierce Biotech: COVID-19 vaccines based on novel platforms show early promise in mice

December 2, 2020

Nature: Meet the scientists investigating the origins of the COVID pandemic

December 1, 2020

Drug Target Review: COVID-19 vaccine candidate is 96.4 percent effective in mice, study shows

Tulane University: Strong initial immune response could produce worst COVID outcome, Tulane study says

Medical Express: US scientists developing nasal spray to prevent COVID-19

KSNT TV: Alpacas, llamas may hold key to alternative COVID-19 vaccine

November 30, 2020

BGR: Incredible new drug might work even better than a coronavirus vaccine

November 27, 2020

November 23, 2020

BBC: Oxford vaccine: How did they make it so quickly?

November 20, 2020

Fierce Biotech: Adagio's COVID-19 antibody protects mice and zaps related viruses in lab tests

The Guardian: What has to happen before a Covid vaccine can be used?

November 19, 2020

BBC: Covid: Oxford vaccine shows 'encouraging' immune response in older adults

November 18, 2020

Science Daily: In the lab, scientists identify possible COVID-19 treatment

Medical Express: How a lung injury study helped inspire new COVID-19 drug trials

November 16, 2020

News Medical: Primate model helps detect features of COVID-19 virus

NIH: Promising Interim Results from Clinical Trial of NIH-Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Medical Dialogues: Cornea appears to be resistant to COVID-19 infection, finds study

KYW Radio: Research behind COVID-19 vaccine development began at Penn lab decades ago

November 15, 2020

News Medical: Researchers explain why COVID-19 infects older people and spares younger children

November 13, 2020

The Scientist: SARS-CoV-2 Exits Cells Via Lysosomes

Science Daily: Common SARS-CoV-2 mutation may make COVID-19 more susceptible to a vaccine

Endpoints: Shortage of monkeys slowed down Eli Lilly's Covid-19 antibody partner. And it's a problem for everyone

The Print: Netherlands study says SARS-CoV-2 virus can jump between mink and humans

November 12, 2020

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Matthew R. Bailey: Shortage of animals could delay a vaccine

VOA: mRNA: Technology behind Two COVID-19 Vaccines
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News: How a Virus Can Trigger Diabetes
Newswise: Why Does COVID-19 Seem to Spare Children?

November 10, 2020

News Medical: Promising yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate effective in mice

KHOU-TV: Researchers developing nasal spray to combat COVID-19 | Connect the Dots

November 3, 2020

Weather Channel: Nanoparticle Based COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Shows Promising Results in Mice: Study

November 2, 2020

KKOH Radio: Scientists Testing Animals in Effort to Understand COVID-19

October 30, 2020

The Chronicle Herald: Colby Cosh: The hunt for the critter to blame for COVID

KTRK TV: Texas A&M study examines COVID-19 and pets

Des Moines Register: Small particles, big change: Iowa scientists awarded $2 million in CARES funding for COVID-19 nanovaccine

Science Daily: Rapid method finds potent COVID-19 monoclonal antibody among a trillion possibilities

October 28, 2020

National Institutes of Health: NIH scientists discover key pathway in lysosomes that coronaviruses use to exit cells

October 27, 2020

Science Magazine: 'Every minute counts.' This immunologist rapidly reshaped her lab to tackle COVID-19

October 26, 2020

Global Newswire: Taconic Biosciences launches critical model for COVID-19 research

Nature: The tale of a mouse-lab mastermind

Technology Networks: The Global Push for a COVID-19 Vaccine

October 23, 2020

Reuters: Positive pre-clinical data for CureVac's COVID-19 vaccine

October 22, 2020

Scientific American: What We Know So Far about How COVID Affects the Nervous System

October 21, 2020

KSAT TV: New study shows antibodies help in fight against COVID-19

October 20, 2020

Medical Express: Research team describes how a virus can cause diabetes

WBRC TV: Inhaled COVID-19 treatment tested at UAB shows promise

October 19, 2020
Gruntstuff: Johnson & Johnson starts human vaccine trials after monkey study The Statesman: When, realistically, should the world expect a vaccine? MarketWatch: How the EU will speed up approval of eventual COVID-19 vaccine
University of Alabama-Birmingham: Preclinical testing of inhaled monoclonal antibody for COVID-19 shows therapeutic efficacy
KENS-TV: San Antonio lab clones COVID-19 in race for a cure KCNC-TV: UCHealth Conducts Clinical Trials For Regeneron Antibody Treatment Given To President Trump Vanderbilt University: Researchers developCOVID-19 animal susceptibility prediction tool Argus Leader: A South Dakota company says it's making progress on a COVID-19 vaccine for pets Nature: Face masks: what the data say
October 14, 2020

News Medical Today: Influenza drug shows promise against SARS-CoV-2

Medical Express: New study highlights risks associated with the sequential infection of influenza followed by COVID-19

Live Mint: Sanofi plans human trial after mRNA vaccine works with animals

News Medical: High-titer convalescent plasma reduced COVID-19 symptom severity in green monkeys

October 13, 2020

Medical Express: Inhaled vaccines aim to fight coronavirus at its point of attack

Nature: How anti-aging drugs could boost COVID vaccines in older people

October 12, 2020

The Conversation: COVID-19 masks FAQs: How can cloth stop a tiny virus? What's the best fabric? Do they protect the wearer?

BBC: Covid: Why bats are not to blame, say scientists

News Medical: Nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine shows promising results in mice

Scientific American: Lab-Made 'Miniproteins' Could Block the Coronavirus from Infecting Cells

October 10, 2020

Forbes: Science May Be The Real Winner In 2020 Polls

October 08, 2020

Dayton 24/7: Antibody drugs are no cure but seem promising for COVID-19

October 07, 2020

News Medical: Experimental Chinese SARS-CoV-2 vaccine appears safe in early trials

Science Magazine: Saying human trials aren't enough, researchers call for comparison of COVID-19 vaccines in monkeys

Medical News Today: COVID-19: Nitric oxide shows promise as antiviral treatment

October 06, 2020

News Medical: Older heavier COVID-19 positives likely to be superspreaders

October 5, 2020

Science Magazine: Update: Here's what is known about Trump's COVID-19 treatment

Cornell Chronicle: RNA analysis at heart of COVID-19 testing

October 01, 2020

Philadelphia magazine: COVID Vaccine Skepticism Is on the Rise. Here's What Experts Say Could Change That.

Biopharma Dive: Preclinical done right: The importance of using relevant animal models in gene therapy studies

September 30, 2020

BioSpace: Early Data Shows Regeneron's COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail Helps Patients Recover Faster

September 29, 2020

New York Times: Studies Begin to Untangle Obesity's Role in Covid-19

September 28, 2020

Biospace: J&J's Single-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine Generates Strong Immune Response, Early Data Shows

September 27, 2020

Daily Progress: Opinion/Commentary: A safe COVID-19 vaccine: How, when will we know?

Saint Louis Today: 'Underdog' vaccine from Washington University may kill the coronavirus

September 24, 2020

National Interest: Will a COVID-19 Vaccine be Safe and Effective? How and When Will We Know?

September 23, 2020

Bustle: 6 Myths About The COVID-19 Vaccine, Debunked By Doctors

New York Times: Johnson & Johnson Begins Large Trial of Its One-Shot Vaccine

St. Louis Today: St. Louis startup licenses 'underdog' COVID-19 vaccine from Washington University

September 22, 2020

Science Daily: COVID-19 mortality rates higher among men than women

Corvallis Advocate: The State of COVID Antibody Tests

September 21, 2020

Smithsonian: Why Covid-19 Patients Are Suffering From Distorted and Phantom Smells

September 20, 2020

News Medical: Scientists investigate active plasma metabolite of remdesivir in SARS-CoV-2 mouse model

September 17, 2020

News Medical: SARS-CoV-2 Spike D614G Mutant is More Transmissible than Other Mutants

September 16, 2020

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Study hints antibody drug may cut COVID-19 hospitalizations

Patch: Pitt Announces Progress In Possible Coronavirus Treatment

Fierce Biotech: Tiny biologic drug to fight COVID-19 shows promise in animal models

September 15, 2020

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pitt scientists discover potential coronavirus remedy - at least, for mice and hamsters

The Modesto Bee: You had COVID-19. Should you take the vaccine anyway? Scientists search for an answer

National Review: Animal Testing Discovers New Antibody Component for Fight against COVID

Technology Networks: Tiny Antibody Component Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 in Animal Models

September 14, 2020

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pitt scientists make antibody discovery that could potentially treat, prevent COVID-19.

September 13, 2020

Live Science: The new coronavirus can infect brain cells, study finds

September 10, 2020

USA Today: America is facing a monkey shortage as demand skyrockets for COVID-19 research, experts say

September 09, 2020

New York Times: How the Coronavirus Attacks the Brain

Fierce Biotech: Pfizer, BioNTech report 'strong' immune response in animals to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate

September 8, 2020

Nature: The coronavirus is mutating - does it matter?

The New Yorker: The State of the Fight Against COVID-19

WJXT: Trio of medications showing early promise against coronavirus, UF Health researchers find

September 07, 2020

Technology Networks: Vaccine Shows Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 in Animals

September 3, 2020

Washington Post: A common North American mouse can catch and spread the coronavirus in labs, studies show

Medical Express: In animal studies, nanoparticle treatment induces antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

Science Magazine: Coronavirus Vaccine Roundup

WOIO TV: Ohio State University researchers working on promising COVID-19 vaccine

International Business Times: Coronavirus Vaccine From Johnson & Johnson Shows Promise, Prevents Severe Illness In Hamsters

September 02, 2020

Web MD: COVID-19 Researchers Face a Monkey Shortage

Ohio State University: Experimental vaccine that boosts antigen production shows promise against COVID-19

August 31 2020

Puget Sound Business Journal: UW Medicine lays out road to a Covid-19 vaccine

WTTG TV: Research suggests coronavirus vaccine will likely require 2 shots to be effective

The Atlantic: America Is Running Low on a Crucial Resource for COVID-19 Vaccines

ABC (Australia): Coronavirus doesn't have a vaccine or a cure yet, but here are some possible options you might have heard about

August 30, 2020

Cosmos Magazine: Strategies behind the great vaccine race

August 27, 2020

New York Times: What if the First Coronavirus Vaccines Aren't the Best?

Medical News Today: COVID-19: Nasal vaccine shows promise in mouse study
News Medical: Researchers identify mechanism that explains lower-quality immune response in COVID-19 patients
Medical Express: Scientists establish first lethal mouse model for COVID-19

August 26, 2020

August 25, 2020

University of Alabama at Birmingham: Preclinical study of COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potent T-cell responses

Scientific American: 'Warp Speed' COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts Aim for Diverse Volunteers and Long-Lasting Protection

ZME Science: Our white blood cells could be 'reprogrammed' to lower inflammation on demand

Science Magazine: The coronavirus may shut down the immune system's vital classrooms

August 24, 2020

Undark: Why Do Some People Weather Coronavirus Infection Unscathed?

Quanta magazine: Can Vaccines for Wildlife Prevent Human Pandemics?

International Business Times: Coronavirus In Animals: Several Vertebrate Species Found Susceptible To SARS-CoV-2

August 23, 2020

Medical News Today: Respiratory viruses may spread via airborne dust

Deccan Herald: Many animal species may be vulnerable to coronavirus infection: Study

August 22, 2020

August 21, 2020

News Medical: Macaques show low neutralizing antibody and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2

August 20, 2020

Discover: Cloth Masks Do Protect the Wearer - Breathing in Less Coronavirus Means You Get Less Sick

Chicago Tribune: A coronavirus vaccine that is safe, effective: How do we get there?

Medical Express: Vaccine strategy could aid in COVID-19 immunization

Technology Networks: Long-Term COVID-19 Immunity May Be Prevented by Cytokine Storms

August 19, 2020

News Medical: Single-dose adenovirus-vectored vaccine protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

Clinicalomics: COVID-19 May Prompt Strong T Cell Response in Mild Cases with No Detectable Virus-Specific Antibodies

August 18, 2020

Popular Science: Animal Studies Show Tiny Dust Particles Could Help Spread Viruses Like the Flu

August 17, 2020

The Lewiston Tribune: Do bats hold clues to preventing the next pandemic?

Futurity: Proof-of-Concept COVID-19 Vaccine Prevents Pneumonia in Mice

Texas Public Radio: The COVID-19 Vaccine: Inside America's Race For An Answer

Nature: What the immune response to the coronavirus says about the prospects for a vaccine
August 7, 2020
August 14, 2020

News Medical: Experimental COVID-19 vaccine prevents severe disease in mice

August 13, 2020

Washington Post: These are the top coronavirus vaccines to watch

Washington Post: The Keys to Speed in Race for Vaccine, and Its Perils

August 12, 2020

7News TV - Australia: Immediate protection': New way to prevent and treat COVID tested

Medical Express: Scientists identify hundreds of drug candidates to treat COVID-19

News Medical: Research looks at convalescent plasma use in COVID-19 mouse model

Associated Press: Companies test antibody drugs to treat, prevent COVID-19

August 11, 2020

Spokesman Review: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine continues, even in Washington state

KITV-TV: Previous vaccines and masks may hold down Covid-19, some researchers say

STAT: Inspired by llamas' unique antibodies, scientists create a potent anti-coronavirus molecule

STAT: Antibody drugs could be one of the best weapons against Covid-19. But will they matter?

Chemistry World: Encouraging signs from initial Covid-19 vaccine trials

New York Times: How Covid Sends Some Bodies to War With Themselves

Patch: Stanford Labs Transition To Covid-19 Studies

August 10, 2020

Science Daily: Novel approach reduces SCA1 symptoms in animal model

University of Georgia: Mouse study suggests COVID-19 does not directly damage taste bud cells.

The New Yorker Magazine: Can Designer Mice Save Us from COVID-19?

Live Science: Decoys could trick COVID-19, keep humans safe from infection

Medical News Today: Hope in defeating COVID-19: More therapeutic and vaccine advances

August 6, 2020

Digital Journal: Current medications can block coronavirus replication in the lab

Science Daily: COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in mouse studies

August 5, 2020

National Institutes of Health: NIH-Moderna investigational COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in mouse studies

Medical News Today: New antivirals kill SARS-CoV-2

August 4, 2020

Texas Standard: The Role Transgenic Mice Play In The Race For A Covid Vaccine

University of Washington: HIV vaccine design strategy holds promise for COVID-19

Science Blog: Decoy Receptor Neutralizes Coronavirus In Cell Cultures

News Medical: Regeneron antibody cocktail shows promise as potential COVID-19 treatment

Drug Target Review: Protease inhibitors with antiviral activity against coronaviruses developed

August 03, 2020

LA Times: Scientists study coronavirus outbreaks among minks in Europe

News Medical: The race to a coronavirus vaccine

Scientific American: Concerns about Waning COVID-19 Immunity Are Likely Overblown

San Diego Tribune: Several COVID-19 vaccines limit viral growth in monkeys, reports show

Science Magazine: Coronavirus Challenges in Primates, Compared
Bloomberg Businessweek: Covid Vaccine Front-Runner Is Months Ahead of Her Competition
WGN Radio: When can we realistically expect a coronavirus vaccine?

Knowable Magazine: Getting a Covid-19 vaccine - quickly and safely

Star Advertiser: University of Hawaii medical school coronavirus vaccine sparks rapid immunity in mice

New York Times: Johnson & Johnson's Coronavirus Vaccine Protects Monkeys, Study Finds

July 29, 2020

Triangle Business Journal: Heat Biologics: Covid-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in animal testing

July 28, 2020

Seattle Times: Moderna Vaccine Test in Monkeys Shows Promise

Bloomberg: New Coronavirus Turns Out to Be Decades Old - in Bats

July 27, 2020

Digital Journal: Essential Science: Why coronavirus causes smell loss is revealed

GovTech: Kansas State University Lab Pivots to Fight COVID-19

New York Times: Masks May Reduce Viral Dose, Some Experts Say

July 24, 2020

News Medical: Experimental mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine elicits protective immune responses in animals

July 21, 2020

News Medical: Mouse model of fatal COVID-19 developed for vaccine and drug testing

Elemental: A Day in the Life of a Scientist in the Coronavirus Vaccine Race

July 20, 2020

News Medical: COVID-19 vaccine displays protective traits in nonhuman primates

July 15, 2020

WVUE-TV: Tulane researcher optimistic about a vaccine that is entering advanced stages of testing

Interesting Engineering: New Protective COVID-19 Antibodies Tested Effective

Maverick Citizen: Covid-19: Clinical trials steam ahead in the race to find a vaccine

July 14, 2020

Montreal Gazette: New molecule attacks COVID-19 on two fronts

The Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee scientists have partnered on cutting-edge discoveries in a race against COVID-19

Stanford: Pathogens suppress immune response with molecule, a possible drug target, Stanford researchers find

July 13, 2020

Harvard: New vaccine platform technology uses red blood cells to generate targeted immune responses in mice

Medical News Today: COVID-19: Linking loss of smell, depression, and anxiety through human and animal studies

The Scientist: How Social Isolation Affects the Brain

July 10, 2020

Medical News Today: Hopeful COVID-19 research: Testing new vaccines, repurposing old ones

WZTV: Anti-viral drug potentially inhibits COVID-19 causing virus in human lung cells

PBS: How a coronavirus vaccine will get to market

Tulane University: Tulane researchers find that coronavirus can survive in air for hours

Medical Express: Report finds rising trend of viruses jumping from animal hosts to humans

Daily Pioneer: How close are we to the silver bullet?

Belfast Telegraph: Animal studies could help test for Covid-19 airborne transmission

Science: Can boosting interferons, the body's frontline virus fighters, beat COVID-19?

CNN: Even without a Covid-19 vaccine, there's reason for hope

Kenosha News: UW drug delivery study uses same method as COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Futurity: How Air Pollution Makes COVID-19 Worse

Precision Vaccinations: Double Coronavirus Antibody Cocktail Launches Phase 3 Study

Telegraph: Scientists race to answer six key questions about the coronavirus

Biospace: Regeneron launches phase III COVID-19 prevention trial with antibody cocktail following studies in mice.

July 04, 2020

VOA: Researchers Launch Large Trials of COVID-19 Candidate Vaccines

The Tennessean: HBCU scientist working on COVID-19 antiviral

July 01, 2020

BGR: The coronavirus is making our cells grow tentacles

June 30, 2020

CTV: Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine ready to start human trials soon

June 26, 2020

Discover Magazine: Deadly Animal Diseases Can Jump to Humans. Is Vaccinating Wildlife the Answer?

Medical News Today: COVID-19: Could gut bacteria be involved?

June 25, 2020

RTL: Italy study shows mosquitoes cannot transmit coronavirus

Oxford Mail: Two doses of Oxford University coronavirus vaccine tested on pigs

Outside Magazine: How Do We Prevent the Next Pandemic?

Nature: Mounting clues suggest the coronavirus might trigger diabetes

June 23, 2020

Newsweek: Nearly 150 Potential Coronavirus Vaccines Are Being Developed Globally

Forbes: Progress In Monoclonal Antibodies For The Treatment And Prevention-Of Covid-19

The Independent: Coronavirus: 'Significant step' in development of vaccine for animals

June 22, 2020

CNN: This super safe lab protects researchers as they race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

University of Wisconsin: Hamsters develop protective immunity to COVID-19 and are protected by convalescent sera

June 19, 2020

First Post: First Human Trials of COVID-19 RNA-Based Vaccine by Imperial Researchers, Now Underway

France 24; In China's vaccine race, shortage of monkeys and weekends

Medical News Today: Duo of antiviral drugs strongly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in the lab

June 18, 2020

Tufts University: Researchers Across Tufts Pivot to Fight COVID-19

June 17, 2020

KPCC Radio: Cows Help With COVID-19 Treatment, No Bull

Harvard University: Old Drugs and COVID-19

News Medical: Scientists examine SARS-CoV-2 cell entry in different species

KGTV TV: UCSD researchers testing 'nanosponges' to fight COVID-19

June 16, 2020

Science Daily: Researchers identify potent antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19

June 15, 2020

Boston Herald: Beating back the coronavirus: Harvard researchers look for a cure

The Guardian: Coronavirus vaccine trial by Imperial College London begins

Pharmaceutical Technology: Daiichi Sankyo to develop Covid-19 vaccine candidate in Japan

June 14, 2020

VOA: Alpaca Helps to Make COVID-19 Vaccine

June 12, 2020

WKZO Radio: How a vaccine made of mosquito spit could help stop the next epidemic

Inverse: Future Covid-19 Treatments Could Be Thanks to Cows, Llamas, and Pangolins

BGR: Dr. Fauci delivered more good news about coronavirus vaccines

June 11, 2020

University of Connecticut: UConn Researcher Talks Vaccine Realities in an Unprecedented Time

Fierce Biotech: COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinopharm clears animal tests

The Economist: An animal model of COVID-19 is now available

June 10, 2020

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Mouse model of COVID-19, key in accelerating research, developed by Washington U.

Raleigh News and Observer: Here's how UNC is spending $29 million on coronavirus research

Harvard Magazine: Ending an Epidemic

New York Times: Can a Vaccine for Covid-19 Be Developed in Record Time?

Daily Mail: Giving coronavirus patients remdesivir early may prevent deadly lung damage, suggests study that showed it blocked respiratory disease in monkeys

June 08, 2020
Sky News: Coronavirus: Thailand trialling COVID-19 vaccine on monkeys
News Medical: New study involving mice shows possible alternative pathway of SARS-CoV-2 infection in overactive bladder

June 07, 2020

The Times-Picayune: Could measles vaccine protect some coronavirus patients? Tulane researcher aims to find out

News Medical: Mouse research: SARS-CoV-2 invasion of central nervous system through olfactory tract

June 05, 2020

Nature: Frozen cells and empty cages: researchers struggle to revive stalled experiments after the lockdown

Science Magazine: Why coronavirus hits men harder: sex hormones offer clues

USA Today: A coronavirus vaccine could require you to get two shots. Here's why.
CBS News: Monkey trials show promising COVID-19 vaccine results
Medium: New Gene-Edited Lab Mice Are Especially Good at Catching Covid-19

Rivard Report: Texas Biomed: Larger Primates Best Model in COVID-19 Vaccine Study

Vox: Why a vaccine may not be enough to end the pandemic

Associated Press: Monkeys, ferrets offer needed clues in COVID-19 vaccine race
STAT: Early data show Moderna Covid-19 vaccine generates immune response
Science Alert: Scientists Find a Way to Infect Mice With Coronavirus. Here's Why That's So Important

Medical Express: Antibody injections could fight COVID-19 infections - an infectious disease expert explains the prospects

The Cavalier Daily: University doctors use previous research to spearhead coronavirus vaccination

Scientific American: COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Search for Antibodies That 'First Do No Harm'

AVMA: Researchers look at role of pets in COVID-19 transmission

538.com: COVID-19 Is A Respiratory Disease. So Why Is It Affecting Patients' Hearts And Brains?

Inlander: WSU is testing animals for COVID-19 to learn more about how the virus moves between species

KDKA TV: University Of Pittsburgh Researcher Says Coronavirus Vaccine Could Take Until Early Next Year

Speaking of Research: A small number of monkeys could help millions of people: Coronavirus vaccine testing

Science Daily: Mouse model mimics SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans

Medical Express: Coronavirus: why we're using llamas to help fight the pandemic

The Morning Journal (Ohio): Six COVID-19 Research Projects Launched by Cincinnati Children's

East Oregonian: Oregon primate study gives hope for post-infection immunity to COVID-19

VOA News: Thailand Enters Global Race for Vaccine With Trials on Monkeys

Minneapolis Star Tribune: US company trials coronavirus vaccine candidate in Australia

The Globe and Mail (Canada) : Canadian coronavirus vaccine candidate delivers promising results in animal tests

Medical News Today: Why we need more research on animal infection with the new coronavirus

The Australian: The race around the world for an effective coronavirus vaccine

NIH Director's Blog: Enlisting Monoclonal Antibodies in the Fight Against COVID-19

Fierce Biotech: Harvard animal studies suggest COVID-19 protection can come from previous infection or DNA vaccine

Firstpost: Harvard studies show DNA vaccines provide partial immunity and antibodies prevent reinfection

US News: Inovio Says COVID-19 Vaccine Produces Antibodies in Mice, Guinea Pigs

TuftsNow: Searching for Ways to Defeat COVID-19

KTVT TV: Finding A Cure: Texas Research Lab Confirms Drug Blocks Coronavirus In Human Cells

The Telegram & Gazette (Central Massachusetts): COVID-19 from humans to animals 'highly unlikely,' study at Tufts finds

WVUE TV: Tulane scientists discuss ongoing coronavirus research including plans to vaccinate animals

New York Times: Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Shows Promising Early Results

The Guardian: Five organisations in the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

News Medical: Study involving mice shows human monoclonal antibodies can effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2

The Hawk Eye: Iowa mice key in race for COVID-19 treatments

NIH: Investigational ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine protects monkeys against COVID-19 pneumonia

NBC: Coronavirus vaccine: This week's updates from Oxford and the NIH

WHYY Radio: The great research mouse rescue amid the pandemic
Sky News: Coronavirus: Scientists hail 'groundbreaking' discovery of antibody which prevents infection
The California Aggie: UC Davis research finds strong links between emerging infectious diseases, threatened animal species

The California Aggie: Testing of COVID-19 skin patch vaccine begun by Verndari Inc. in collaboration with UC Davis

Pharmaceutical Technology: Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine shows promise in animal study

Science Daily: SARS lessons for COVID-19 vaccine design

Knowable Magazine: Building a mouse squad against Covid-19

Nature: Dogs caught coronavirus from their owners, genetic analysis suggests

Scientific American: From Hamsters to Baboons: The Animals Helping Scientists Understand the Coronavirus

The Salt Lake Tribune: Coronavirus and immunity - what the latest research says about people who already beat the disease

Medical Express: Can a drug developed for sickle cell anemia mitigate lung damage in patients with COVID-19?

Telangana Today: Even animals benefit from social distancing to prevent disease

KLEW TV: Researchers investigate how COVID-19 is transmitted from humans to pets

Wired: The Search for a Covid-19 Research Animal Model

iPolitics: One of Canada's vaccine hopefuls has shown promise in ferrets - so now what?

Science Daily: A close relative of SARS-CoV-2 found in bats offers more evidence it evolved naturally

The Philadelphia Inquirer: How long immunity lasts after a coronavirus infection and what that means for vaccines

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Opinion: Developing a treatment

Inverse: An Animal Once Linked to Covid-19 Could Be the Key to Better Treatment

Neurology Today: COVID-19 Closes Labs, Slows Data Collection-The Impact on Neurology Research

KTRK TV: FDA approves coronavirus vaccine's next phase in clinical trial

Washington Post: The urgent quest for a coronavirus treatment involves door-to-door blood collection and a llama named Winter

Forbes: Meet The Animal Heroes Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

The Conversation: Exercise may help reduce risk of deadly COVID-19 complication: ARDS

Discover Magazine: COVID-19 Antibody Testing: Tougher Than True/False

The Print: Can computers find a potential drug to fight Covid-19? Experts say it's a long journey

Science Magazine: The race is on for antibodies that stop the new coronavirus

Science Daily: Activation of the SARS coronavirus 2 revealed

The Incline: Meet the Pitt researchers working to end the COVID-19 pandemic

Washington Post: Inside the extraordinary race to invent a coronavirus vaccine

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The fight for a cure includes animal studies

April 29, 2020

UC Davis: COVID-19 Vaccine With Patch Delivery Technology Enters Preclinical Testing at UC Davis

Live Science: Why are more men dying from COVID-19?

CNN: The Race for a Vaccine: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's coronavirus podcast for April 29

April 28, 2020

NBC: 'Fogging' technology used by animal caretakers to clean rooms where animals are housed now helping in the battle against coronavirus

April 25, 2020

CBC: A race against the disease': Canadian researchers part of global effort to develop COVID-19 vaccine

The Dartmouth: Researchers continue essential work in on-campus labs

April 24, 2020

April 23, 2020

Scientific American: Three Ways to Make Coronavirus Drugs In a Hurry

Science Magazine: COVID-19 vaccine protects monkeys from new coronavirus, Chinese biotech reports

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter: Care of research animals remain a priority at Hopkins

Medical News Today: Studies in mice and monkeys show faulty blood clotting mechanism may explain COVID-19 severity

April 22, 2020

Newsweek: Chimpanzee studies show that 'social distancing' may not be the right term for our coronavirus quarantine measures.

The Guardian: Coronavirus: what have scientists learned about Covid-19 so far?

April 20, 2020

April 17, 2020

NIH: Antiviral remdesivir prevents disease progression in monkeys with COVID-19

April 16, 2020
WCSH TV: Maine lab genetically modifies mice for COVID-19 research US News: Why Will It Take So Long for a COVID-19 Vaccine?
Montreal Gazette: What science is telling us about COVID-19, from deadly spikes to brain seizures

MIT News: Proteins may halt the severe cytokine storms seen in Covid-19 patients

April 15, 2020

The Scientist: What Do Antibody Tests For SARS-CoV-2 Tell Us About Immunity?

AVMA: Spike protein may contain key weaknesses in COVID-19 virus

April 14, 2020

Business Insider: French scientists are using the measles vaccine to develop a 'Trojan horse' against the coronavirus

Science Magazine: Mice, hamsters, ferrets, monkeys. Which lab animals can help defeat the new coronavirus?

Quartz: How monkeys, ferrets, and horses are helping scientists fight Covid-19

The California Aggie: UC Davis researchers work toward developing potential vaccine for COVID-19

Science Daily: Study finds remdesivir effective against a key enzyme of coronavirus that causes COVID-19

KERA TV: Clinical Trials For Promising COVID-19 Drug Underway In North Texas

April 10, 2020

Taipei Times: - Virus Outbreak: Team identifies inhibitors in search for drug

Scientific American: What Immunity to COVID-19 Really Means

WDHN - TV: Auburn Veterinary Medicine begins testing for COVID-19 vaccine candidates

April 9, 2020

April 8, 2020
CTV: Canadian scientists, others around the world racing to find a COVID-19 vaccine
Popular Science: A new vaccine protects mice from another dangerous coronavirus

April 7, 2020

WXIA TV: Emory-discovered coronavirus drug shows promise in mice, heads to human trials
GEN News: COVID-19 Reinfection Not a Concern, Monkey Study Suggests ABC News: Louisiana researchers studying monkeys for a coronavirus vaccine face challenges as state cases spike
Technology Networks: Antiviral Against COVID-19 Reduces Damage in Mouse Lungs

The Cedar Rapids Gazette: University of Iowa-led vaccine research shows promise for coronavirus

Scientific American: New Coronavirus Drug Shows Promise in Animal Tests

Science Daily: Engineered virus might be able to block coronavirus infections, mouse study shows

PRI: Can Tulane University's monkeys help the global fight against the coronavirus?

KSAT TV: Local scientists studying levels of immunity in COVID-19 survivors

The Scientist: Scientists Around the Globe Pivot Their Research to SARS-CoV-2

WLBZ TV: Maine lab genetically modifies mice for COVID-19 research

Medical Express: Virologist leads world's first multi-vaccine animal efficacy studies in the fight against COVID-19

April 5, 2020

Stanford Daily: Researchers tackle COVID-19 from all angles

KXLY-TV: WSU laboratory begins testing animals for COVID-19

April 3, 2020

World Economic Forum: Why a coronavirus vaccine takes over a year to produce - and why that is incredibly fast

The New Daily: We don't want a new Thalidomide: Why a COVID-19 vaccine is so long coming

Reuters: Potential COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in mouse study

The Globe and Mail: Chinese wildlife ban freezes export of test monkeys amid worldwide push for COVID-19 vaccine

BBC: Coronavirus: Australian scientists begin tests of potential vaccines

April 1, 2020

New York Times: COVID-19 Changed How the World Does Science, Together

The Guardian: Cats can infect each other with coronavirus, Chinese study finds

The Conversation: Sheep and Bacteria Are Helping in the Fight Against Coronavirus - Here's How

Japan Times: Race for COVID-19 vaccine tests limits of drug innovation

BBC: The world needs more ventilators - but scaling up production is more complex than it seems. Around the world, thousands of volunteers are working hard to fill the gaps.

The Cornell Sun: Virology Professor Weighs in on a Potential COVID-19 Cure

March 31, 2020

Medical News Today: COVID-19: No evidence that heart, kidney medications raise risk

AAMC: Here's why we can't rush a COVID-19 vaccine

March 30, 2020

March 28, 2020

The Sacramento Bee: UC Davis researchers rushing to develop new treatments to stop coronavirus spread

Forbes: How Colleges Are Stepping Up To Fight COVID-19

March 27, 2020

The Guardian: It's a razor's edge we're walking': inside the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

March 26, 2020

Several News Outlets: Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., Comments on the Critical Role of Animals in Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine. Video below:

Science Magazine: Race to find COVID-19 treatments accelerates

BBC: Coronavirus: Pangolins found to carry viruses related to Covid-19

Triangle Business Journal: Duke University Hospital to test potential COVID-19 treatment on patients

March 25, 2020

Forbes: Timeline Shows 3 Paths To COVID-19 Treatment And Prevention (INFOGRAPHIC)

Science Daily: COVID-19: Stopgap measure to treat respiratory distress

The Atlantic: How the Pandemic Will End

The Guardian: Coronavirus vaccine: when will it be ready?

World Economic Forum: Coronavirus vaccine: how soon will we have one?

Minneapolis Star Tribune: University of Minnesota is going 'full-on MacGyver' against COVID-19

March 19, 2020

UC Davis: Researchers Race to Develop Coronavirus Solutions

March 18, 2020

The Mercury News: Letter: I know lab animals are crucial in finding a COVID-19 vaccine

March 14, 2020

The New York Times : These Lab Animals Will Help Fight Coronavirus

NPR: Mouse Hunt: Lab Races To Grow Mice For COVID-19 Research

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The Critical Role of Animals in Developing COVID-19 Treatments and Vaccines - Americans for Medical Progress

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Animal studies are essential for advancing medicine and science. This includes the current global quest for treatments and a vaccine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are recent news stories that feature the role of animals in this important work.

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YouTube. "Experimenting on Animals: Inside The Monkey Lab"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocsPo53PCls. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Experimenting on Animals: Inside The Monkey Lab

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YouTube. "Can we do science without animal testing?". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hxUMpYFo_Y. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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Can we do science without animal testing?

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The failure of animal experiments – an animated educational film

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YouTube. "3 Reasons to End Animal Experimentation Now". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hZIAQ5Wx7M. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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3 Reasons to End Animal Experimentation Now

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this is a rabbit called

Ralph and his hole family was tested on and this may cose sum sever consequences

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Save Ralph - A short film with Taika Waititi

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YouTube. "Did animals in the COVID-19 vaccine trials die from the vaccine?". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZX_W38BzzM. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Did animals in the COVID-19 vaccine trials die from the vaccine?

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This is the saddest thing in the world all the monkey's end up like this in the (BPRC) Research center in Netherlands.

What the critter said:

Biomedical Primate Research Center (BPRC) in the Netherlands, where scientists try to find cures for the worst human diseases, while claiming to provide unparalleled care for the monkeys in the hope they live the most animal friendly life before and during testing.

Once selected, inside the laboratories, monkeys are shaved, anesthetized, and experimented on for research purposes.

Yet the center remains controversial. Protestors gather regularly in front of its gates and there are calls in the Dutch parliament to close the site and switch to alternatives for testing on primates.

But as the BPRC explains to VICE News, modern science isn't there yet. In the meantime, it still uses about 200 monkeys a year for a slew of experiments to find cures, and even replacements for primate testing in the future.

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AVMA maintains its recommendations, which echo those of the CDC, USDA, and OIE, regarding SARS-CoV-2 and animals:

Animal owners without symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to practice good hygiene during interactions with animals. This includes washing hands before and after such interactions and when handling animal food, waste, or supplies.

Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.

Keep cats indoors, when possible, to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.

Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining at least 6 feet from other people and animals. Avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather.

Those ill with COVID-19 should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just as you would restrict your contact with other people. Have another member of your household or business take care of feeding and otherwise caring for any animals, including pets. If you have a service animal or you must care for your animals, including pets, then wear a cloth face covering; don't share food, kiss, or hug them, and wash your hands before and after any contact with them.

At this point in time, there is no evidence to suggest that domestic animals, including pets and livestock, that may be incidentally infected by humans play a substantive role in the spread of COVID-19.

Routine testing of animals for SARS-CoV-2 is NOT recommended. Veterinarians are strongly encouraged to rule out other, more common causes of illness in animals before considering testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Human outbreaks are driven by person-to-person transmission and, based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low. Accordingly, there is no reason to remove pets from homes, even if COVID-19 has been identified in members of the household, unless there is risk that the pet itself is not able to be cared for appropriately.

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AVMA maintains its recommendations, which echo those of the CDC, USDA, and OIE, regarding SARS-CoV-2 and animals: Animal owners without symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to practice good hygiene during interactions with animals. This includes washing hands before and after such interactions and when handling animal food, waste, or supplies.

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Ewbank, Anne. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pets-during-1918-influenza-epidemic. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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Dr. Woods Hutchinson had opinions about a certain epidemic. "The reason for the spread? Pig-headedness, not another thing," he raged in in Des Moines on November 25, 1918. "We knew it was prevalent in Europe and that it would find its way here." His speech on the so-called Spanish influenza was colorful, to say the least. "The 'flu' germ doesn't care a hang for your state of mind," he noted. "After he takes up residence in your nose, he doesn't give a blankety-blank whether you're afraid of him or not."

Nevertheless, Hutchinson was anti-quarantine. Instead, he whole-heartedly espoused the use of masks, pointing to the West Coast, where some cities made mask-wearing mandatory in public. Photos from the time show people going to and fro, with the lower halves of their faces swathed in gauze. Like today's makeshift masks, their effectiveness may have been limited. But some Americans took flu safety one step further: they masked their cats, too.

One image, dating from the years when Spanish flu rampaged across the United States, shows a unknown family of six, in Dublin, California, all wearing the standard mask of the time: "white and fastened around the head," as Catharine Arnold writes in Pandemic 1918: Eyewitness Accounts from the Greatest Medical Holocaust in Modern History. A behatted woman holds a bouquet of flowers. And the family patriarch holds a tense-looking masked cat under his arm, like a loaf of bread. Faint wrinkles under the cat's right ear show where the gauze is bunching up, and a faint shadow marks the spot of its triangular nose.

People worldwide are fretting over their pets catching COVID-19: A recent study suggested that cats can contract it, at least under laboratory conditions. Dogs seem to be less susceptible, though dog masks have popped up on eBay. In February, news stories showed unfortunate cats in China whose owners covered their faces completely with masks, simply punching out holes for the eyes.

The photos inspired worldwide hilarity, and perhaps they were meant to-it's hard to imagine a cat actually putting up with a face mask for any significant amount of time. Humor may have been a motivation for photographs of masked pets from the early-20th century, as well. The families and friends in these images may have felt fear, apprehension, or even the weight of history on their shoulders. Putting Puss in a mask probably would have lightened the mood.

But there was genuine fear that pets could carry Spanish influenza. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, one councilman insisted that dogs and cats were responsible for the spread of the illness, proposing that they all be killed or at the very least shaved to prevent more infections. In Phoenix, it was rumored that dogs could carry influenza. Police killed strays, while some people killed their own pets. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some influenza viruses can pass from certain birds and mammals to humans, though it's rare for them to directly make the jump to people.

When dogs did get the mask treatment, it was treated as a joke. "What is believed to be the first masked ball game ever staged," trumpeted once newspaper, when two teams went head-to-head in Pasadena, California, in early 1919. The umpires, players, spectators, and the mascot's dog gathered for the game in linen and cheesecloth masks. The dog's picture made the local paper, as did that of Yancia, a 5-year-old Boston bulldog whose masked muzzle graced the pages of The Seattle Star in late 1918. "This Seattle Dog Wears Flu Mask" read the headline, and her owner told the paper that "she has made the best of it in good spirit, as we all have."

According to Tyler Phillips of the Dublin Heritage Park & Museum, the identity of the family of six was who posed with their cat a century ago is unknown. The same is not true of another photo, taken in 1918. In it, five women and two cats sit on a porch. All of them are wearing masks. The names of the women and the cats are listed on the back: "Top row, Anna Kilgore, E.K. Barr, Ms. Anna S. Shaw. Lower row, Penelope and Tommy, Mrs. Shaw and Golly."

The photo is part of the collection of Dan Eskenazi, the curator of Seattle's Giant Shoe Museum. Eskenazi's friend Pat Dorpat, a columnist and historian, found that four of the five women lived together in a still-standing house on 43rd Street in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. One can imagine the ladies-bored roommates during a seemingly endless epidemic-trooping outside in their glorious hats, then slipping the inglorious masks over Tommy and Golly's heads. The photographer who snapped their photo captured a moment of levity in the middle of a scourge.

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During the 1918 Flu Epidemic, Pet Parents Put Masks on Their Cats

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Dr. Woods Hutchinson had opinions about a certain epidemic. "The reason for the spread? Pig-headedness, not another thing," he raged in in Des Moines on November 25, 1918. "We knew it was prevalent in Europe and that it would find its way here." His speech on the so-called Spanish influenza was colorful, to say the least.

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European Animal Research Association.https://www.eara.eu/animal-research-in-covid-19. accessed 29 April 2022.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has required international collaboration by the biomedical community on an unprecedented scale. Animal research has played a critical role in helping researchers understand the virus itself, the mechanics of its transmission, and the safety and efficiency of all the vaccines so far produced to bring the end of the pandemic a step closer.

EARA has produced a
global interactive map to show what biomedical research was conducted using animal models, the species used and its location, including in 24 European countries.

How were animals used in the lead up to Covid-19?

The vaccines for Covid-19 were developed in record time, with three successful vaccines available within a year of the disease emerging. This was because animal research had already paved the way for basic research and drug development to go ahead without delay once the genome of SARS-CoV-2 had been established.

Mouse models used to study the disease had already been generated years previously, for the study of other coronaviruses such as Middle Eastern Respiratory Disease (MERS). As mice are not directly affected by the coronavirus themselves, the availability of this model meant that the disease could quickly be studied in the context of how the virus would affect human cells, without the need to breed a mouse with the specific mutation.

Vaccine research was also already in progress before the emergence of Covid-19.
mRNA vaccines have been under development for many years thanks to initial research in mice and the understanding the mRNA could be manipulated to produce an immune response in the body. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine also relied on previous generation of part of the vaccine which had been trialled as a candidate for vaccines against coronaviruses. Once the SARS-CoV-2 genome was available, the researchers could add this to their existing knowledge to generate a vaccine more quickly.

Which animals were used to help us understand Covid-19?

Before a vaccine can be developed, scientists first had to understand how to stop the spread of the virus in the body and how it interacts with cells and tissues. To do this, an animal model was often studied to help improve understanding of the biology of the viral infection. See also, the key stages in Covid-19 vaccine development and the role of animals.

Key animal species used in this research included:

Mice and rats - play an essential role in both vaccine and drug development for Covid-19. Ordinary mice are not susceptible to the disease, so scientists breed genetically altered mice to make them susceptible to Covid-19.

Ferrets - research has shown that ferrets and other members of the weasel family (e.g. mink) can be infected by coronaviruses and exhibit similar symptoms to humans. This makes them a useful tool to study the symptoms of infection, as well as how the virus can spread from animal to animal. They are often used in studies of influenza for similar reasons.

Monkeys - as they have a similar immune system to humans, monkeys are a valuable model to understand how the virus will affect the body. While most research is conducted with rhesus macaques to understand the workings of the virus, baboons have also been used to study the potential consequences of Covid-19 infection in an older population, or in patients with underlying diseases.

Hamsters - these animals are also susceptible to infection by coronaviruses, and were used extensively in SARS research in the early 2000s. Hamsters are being used to study the effects of Covid-19 as they can display similar symptoms to humans when infected. This similarity makes also them a good model for studying transmission, the effects of the virus (particularly on the lungs), and suitable treatments.

Pigs are used in Covid-19 vaccine testing to help scientists better understand how safe and effective a new vaccine is and therefore whether it is suitable for human trials. These animals have also been used to test the effectiveness of new types of ventilators, before they are used on humans.

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How are animals used while developing a vaccine?

When researchers have a vaccine candidate, it must first go through preclinical testing to ensure that the vaccine is safe and effective. This is often first conducted in mice to investigate whether an appropriate immune response can be generated, and later in monkeys to see how well the vaccine can protect an individual from infection.

Were animal tests skipped while developing Covid-19 vaccines?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Medicine's Agency issued new advice which allowed researchers to conclude efficacy trials in animals alongside the first Phase I clinical trials in humans, speeding up the vaccine development process. This article from AP News gives an excellent overview.

However, no animal testing stages were actually skipped in this process. The initial preclinical safety testing in mice and monkeys is necessary before progressing to clinical trials, to ensure that the vaccine is safe, and will not make the infection worse or have unwanted side effects. This overlapping of the early phases, rather than sequentially, was due to data evidence from the animal trials that this was safe to do so.

How is animal research used to develop other treatments for Covid-19?

A variety of animal species have been used during the search for treatments to help reduce symptoms for those who have been infected with the virus. Research in Belgium into potential antibody treatments has involved the use of llamas and alpacas, thanks to their ability to produce smaller forms of antibodies, known as nanobodies that are effective in blocking the SARS-CoV-2 route of entry into cells.

Large mammals such as pigs and sheep have also been valuable in Covid-19 research, for the production and
development of ventilators which have been essential for patients with severe Covid-19 infections.

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Banner image courtesy of: Sanofi.

Beagle image courtesy of: Understanding Animal Research

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How has animal research helped in the Covid-19 pandemic? | EARA

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The Covid-19 pandemic has required international collaboration by the biomedical community on an unprecedented scale. Animal research has played a critical role in helping researchers understand the virus itself, the mechanics of its transmission, and the safety and efficiency of all the vaccines so far produced to bring the end of the pandemic a step closer.

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Parry, Nicola. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665910720300396https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665910720300396. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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COVID-19 and pets: When pandemic meets panic

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As the novel coronavirus outbreak spreads globally with devastating effects on human health, pets are also becoming unnecessary victims amidst the pan…

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N. De Briyne , P. Dalla Villa, D. Ellis, G. Golab, K. Gruszynski, A. Hammond-Seaman, S. Moody, Z. Noga, E. Pawloski, M. Ramos, H. Simmons, J. Tickel & G. Vroegindewey. https://oiebulletin.fr/?p=15661. Accessed 29 April 2022

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N. De Briyne ⁽¹⁾*, P. Dalla Villa ⁽²⁾*, D. Ellis ⁽³⁾, G. Golab ⁽⁴⁾, K. Gruszynski ⁽⁵⁾, A. Hammond-Seaman ⁽⁶⁾, S. Moody ⁽¹⁾, Z. Noga ⁽⁷⁾, E. Pawloski ⁽⁵⁾, M. Ramos ⁽⁸⁾, H. Simmons ⁽³⁾, J. Tickel ⁽³⁾ & G. Vroegindewey ⁽⁵⁾

(1) Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), Avenue Tervueren 12, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
(2) Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy
(3) Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD), Texas A&M University System, United States
(4) American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, Illinois, United States
(5) Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU CVM), Tennessee, United States
(6) RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 9RS, United Kingdom
(7) World Veterinary Association (WVA), Avenue Tervueren 12, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
(8) National Animal Health and Agrifood Quality Service (SENASA), Av. Paseo Colón 367, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

* Corresponding authors: P. Dalla Villa and N. De Briyne

The designations and denominations employed and the presentation of the material in this article do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the OIE concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.
The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the author(s). The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by the OIE in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) represents 182 countries with a focus on animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health. The OIE has several Collaborating Centres that support the work of the organisation. The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'Giuseppe Caporale' (IZSAM) is the Secretariat for the OIE Collaborating Centre Network on Veterinary Emergencies (EmVetNet). In April 2020, the IZSAM initiated a COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare. The working group represented the EmVetNet Collaborating Centres, international institutions, veterinary associations, authorities and animal welfare organisations. Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine recruited summer research students whom catalogued over 1,200 animal welfare related reports and provided 64 report narratives for the working group. IZSAM launched the EmVetNet website ( https://emvetnet.izs.it) for public and private exchange of information, materials, and guidelines related to veterinary emergencies. The EmVetNet COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare continues to meet to address emerging issues, strengthen the network for future emergencies, and share information with stakeholders including national Veterinary Services responding to the epidemic.

Starting from the first half of 2020, COVID-19 - caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus - spread through almost all countries in the world. Many countries introduced country-wide or regional lock-downs to reduce the spread of infection. While the lockdown measures varied slightly per country/region, almost all countries closed schools and non-essential shops, bars and restaurants. Only essential businesses and key workers were allowed to continue working and travelling whilst social activity outside the home ceased. At the time of writing, many countries are still fighting to contain SARS-CoV-2 virus, whilst trying to address the resulting economic challenge that has sent many countries spiralling into the worst economic crisis since World War Two.

The psychological toll on people due to the anxiety caused by the novel virus, and also by the harsh isolation and social distancing measures imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, will only be truly known years from now. However, mental health professionals and institutions are already ringing alarm bells [1].

The crisis caused by this pandemic does not only affect people. Animals are indirect victims of the pandemic too. COVID-19 has had, and will continue to have for some time into the future, an impact on the health and welfare of almost all animals, including companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals and wildlife.

The COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare was created in April 2020 to oversee and try to reduce the impact of this pandemic on animals.

Setting and composition of the network

In early April 2020, the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'Giuseppe Caporale' (IZSAM) brought together several global institutions and experts who were dealing with the animal welfare impacts of the pandemic to form the COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare.

IZSAM provides the Secretariat for the three OIE Collaborating Centres with a veterinary emergency focus. These centres are known as the Emergency Veterinary Network (EmVetNet). The other two EmVetNet centres are the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases at Texas A&M University, United States of America (USA), and Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA) in Mayabeque, Cuba. The aim of EmVetNet is to provide OIE Members with advice and technical assistance during events that have catastrophic or widespread impact on animal health. EmVetNet also promotes the sharing of knowledge on best practices (including models and case studies, e.g. model legislation, contingency/emergency plans, communication) and provides training, capacity building, exercises and evaluation across the emergency management cycle for all hazards at the international level. COVID-19 is, without doubt, a hazard that urgently needed intervention. This led to the setting up of the COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare, within the framework of the EmVetNet 2020-2024 action plan.

With the current crisis, it is crucial that, amongst other activities linked to animal disease prevention and management and food and feed safety and security, Veterinary Services can ensure that critical situations can be adequately managed when animal welfare is at risk.

Starting in April with just a few members, the COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare quickly grew to a global network of experts, stakeholders and institutions from different sectors. Between early April and September, eight meetings of the network were held.

Crucial to the work of the network was the extensive support given by Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) College of Veterinary Medicine, which dedicated 18 veterinary students, 2 undergraduate students, 7 veterinary faculty and 3 staff to support the network by collecting, fact checking, collating and analysing all data sources on the welfare impact of COVID-19.

Members of the network

Aims and methodology

The aim of setting up this network was to bring together worldwide institutions and experts, all working together to assess and describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal welfare in order to exchange information, policies and good practice to prevent or alleviate welfare concerns, while also taking into account the needs for disease prevention, food security and food safety. Specifically, the network serves a supporting role for Veterinary Services within OIE Members to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on animal welfare.

The network started with members mapping the animal welfare consequences of COVID-19 in their country/region or discipline, such as the abandonment of companion animals and closing of slaughterhouses.

Following the initial phase, an inclusive and automated method was developed to retrieve information on the animal welfare impacts of COVID-19 from all over the world. This was done by programming an online survey using the Qualtrics platform. This platform allows information to be collected and helps to analyse data. The online survey was created so that it could be easily completed on both computers and mobile devices.

The survey asked respondents for the following information:

links for information sources (e.g. publications, news articles, personal communication and media) on the animal welfare impacts of COVID-19

details, including the URL, of the information sources

the theme(s) of the information (e.g. legislative, educational, logistics, communication, species covered)

the OIE reference region to which the material referred

the time frame of the impact (short - less than two months; medium - two to six months; long term - longer than six months)

whether there was a concurrent or cascading issue (e.g. another disease or weather event)

a short description/narrative.

The survey was first piloted among the network members, and afterwards published online.

In addition to the online survey through the Qualtrics platform, the students from LMU searched a variety of sources, ranging from peer-reviewed articles to grey literature.

The LMU students collected all information received through the mapping done by the network, the Qualtrics platform and their own research, and brought it together, through narrative, by topic and by species, e.g. the abandonment of horses.

Results

At the end of the summer project on 6 August, input had been received on 118 countries representing all OIE regions. The majority of inputs came through research by the LMU students with over 1,200 entries recorded.

Most entries dealt with the impact on companion animals (335 entries); followed by the impact on wildlife and aquatic animals (281); laboratory animals (238); production and draft animals (170); zoo and exhibit animals (59); equine (47); and others (83). The group 'others' was used for entries providing material that was not specific to particular species (e.g. policy, economics).

The major issues identified were: animal welfare (17.9%, n = 309); laboratory animal use for the development of diagnostics/therapeutics (13.8%, n = 238); policy/economics (8.6%, n = 149); animals tested for COVID-19 (5.5%, n = 94); and poaching/wildlife trafficking (4.9%, n = 85).

Almost 25.8% of materials not only described the challenges resulting from COVID-19 but also proposed solutions. Around 34.8% of materials referenced humans or disease in humans.

Figure 2 represents all countries (n = 13) that had 20 or more inputs in the database. The remaining 105 OIE Members and non-OIE Members made up 29% of all inputs.

Figure 3 represents what the students considered to be the focus of the material. Only issues (n = 9) with 50 or more entries in the database were included. The remaining issues were grouped as 'other'.

The students developed 64 COVID-19-focused narratives which were reviewed by the faculty for use by EmVetNet members. The narratives were grouped into thematic areas: equines (7); production and working animals (8); companion and shelter animals (13); laboratory animals (6); zoos and wildlife (14); public health (8); and policy and legislation (8). Examples of narratives from each group included:

equines: abandoned horses, equine COVID-19 testing, equine business impacts

production/working animals: depopulation due to slowdown of slaughtering, COVID-19 infection in mink, COVID-19 detector dogs, feed shortages, sheep shearer shortages

companion and shelter animals: shelter influx of relinquished animals, China banning dog meat, shelter economics, the shortage of adoptable pets

laboratory animals: use of non-human primates for testing, shortage of laboratory mice for research, small animal COVID-19 models

zoos and wildlife: wildlife poaching, economic impacts on zoos, impacts of the decrease in trophy hunting, deforestation

public health: the well-being of veterinary personnel, the impact of COVID-19 medical care on other diseases, veterinary laboratory support for sampling humans

policy: wet-market and live-market slaughter bans, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and PPE litter.

All narratives were circulated among the network's members for review and discussion.

The network is currently working on publishing its main findings and solutions to the wider public. This will be done through the EmVetNet website and possibly via an interactive visual database.

Through their research, the authors found that COVID-19 has had or will have further impacts on the health and welfare of almost all animals, including companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals and wildlife, and that the impacts are global.

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) report of June 2020 for the International Monetary Fund projects global growth at −4.9% in 2020, 1.9 percentage points below the April 2020 WEO forecast [2]. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a more negative impact on activity in the first half of 2020 than anticipated, and the recovery is projected to be more gradual than previously forecast. The adverse impact on low-income households is particularly acute, imperilling the significant progress made in reducing extreme poverty in the world since the 1990s.

The World Bank in its August brief warned about a potential rise in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic [3]. Accordingly, many countries and organisations are mounting special efforts to keep agriculture running safely as an essential business, ensuring that markets are well supplied within affordable and nutritious food, and that consumers are still able to access and purchase food despite movement restrictions and income losses.

Animals play an important role in our society. Not only do they constitute a significant part of our food chain, but they are also our loving companions, and often our co-workers. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens the welfare of animals of all kinds.

Livestock animals have experienced the effect that COVID-19 has had on the food production sector. The impact was two-pronged in lockdown: the meat trade was disrupted, while simultaneously people's consumption habits changed [4]. With restaurants, schools and canteens closed, people sought more basic ingredients (flour and eggs) and preferred more cost-effective types of meat over expensive steak or fish. Locally sourced food and online shopping have become much more popular [5]. While the market can absorb some changes by using warehouse storage, this is not possible for any length of time or for every meat product. As a result, some farmers have not been able to sell their animals. Abattoirs and meat-packing plants became hot spots for COVID-19 [6]. This has been observed in many European countries and those on the American continent, as well as globally. Slaughter plants, some of which are vast operations, have had to close down at short notice. This has led to welfare problems due to overcrowding on farms. Animals have been re-routed to other abattoirs, had their diets changed to slow their growth or, in the worst-case scenario, have been culled [7].

Companion animals have also suffered the effects of COVID-19 [8]. In some countries people have abandoned their animals due to fear of the virus [9], even though there is currently no evidence that pets can spread COVID to humans [10]. Others have been relinquished because their owners had to move out of an infected area or be hospitalised. In other countries, the number of adoptions has increased, but it is not clear whether these new owners will be able to look after their new pet once they go back to work. It is strongly recommended that owners prepare their pets for when they have to return to work in order to prevent separation anxiety. At the height of the pandemic many countries stipulated that only urgent or emergency procedures absolutely necessary for the veterinary healthcare of companion animals could take place. Delays in routine care (e.g. vaccination, parasite prevention) has led to some serious health and welfare problems, as well as an overflow of work after the restrictions were lifted which, in turn, has created additional delays in the delivery of these services.

Finally, but maybe most worrisome, is the potential impact that the economic recession will have on the ability of owners to pay for healthcare and feed for their animals. This is of particular concern for animals that are more expensive to keep, such as horses, which have steep maintenance costs. This is even more pertinent in the light of the 2008/2009 economic recession which resulted in a large increase in horse euthanasia and abandonment [11].

In the field of laboratory animal medicine, many research institutions had to temporarily shut down their facilities and find ways to continue to care for the animals on site. At the same time, the direction of biomedical research shifted to support the response to COVID-19 and there was an enormous increase in demand for transgenic mice and ferrets for use in research directed towards vaccines and treatments [12].

As a last point of interest, zoos have had a particularly hard time [13]. Most zoos rely on visitors for income, while feeding and maintenance costs are very high. Conservation work is suffering. Some zoos did not survive, and solutions had to be found for their animals. Others are still struggling.

These are just a few examples of how animals are collateral victims of COVID-19, but many more exist. The good news is that veterinarians can mitigate these effects and, as a profession, we have the potential to be at the forefront of doing so.

Challenges such as COVID-19 seldom present themselves in isolation. In several countries, the effect of COVID-19 was amplified through other diseases or disasters, such as the explosion in Beirut, African swine fever in Europe and wildfires in the western USA.

The veterinary profession has the potential to prevent or alleviate the impact on animal welfare caused by COVID-19: this thematic network provides the tools and resources to do so

Veterinary Services, as defined by the OIE [14], include all official and private veterinarians, who provide important animal and public health disease surveillance to prevent infectious outbreaks, including zoonotic diseases. They ensure food security so that people have safe food to eat by ensuring only healthy animals and their products can enter the food chain. Veterinarians provide ongoing medical care and oversight as well as surgical and emergency services to ill and injured animals. Veterinary Services also include the national and regional veterinary regulatory and inspection services that oversee the integrity of public health. They supervise veterinary services provided in animal hospitals, mobile clinics, ambulatory services, zoos, etc. In addition, they oversee the care of laboratory animals, which are critical to research medicines and vaccines, including vaccine research against viruses such as COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a zoonotic infection. It is most likely the result of a leap from bats that act as a reservoir to an intermediate host (the best candidate is the pangolin [15]), and from there to humans (spill-over), in a similar transmission mechanism to those of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses [16]. Although the disease has a largely human impact, collaborative efforts have recognised and acknowledged the connection between animal and human health, an interrelationship inherent in the One Health concept. Veterinary laboratories supported COVID-19 testing for humans, veterinarians volunteered in hospitals and veterinary practices provided equipment such as ventilators. In a novel example of humans and animals working side by side, sniffer dogs are trained to detect COVID-19 in patients [17]. Dogs are now being used to sniff passengers at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland [18]. Solutions for dealing with the consequences of both the virus and our response to it have again brought to light the importance of One Health. Recognising and documenting these One Health impacts during the pandemic has facilitated robust discussions and a more holistic approach among those participating in the response.

The whole veterinary profession (including veterinary officials, private practitioners, and those working in research, academia and industry), by working together and sharing experiences, solutions and best practices, can alleviate the impact of this pandemic on animals. Additionally, and even more importantly, critical intervention points can be identified, and lessons learned which can improve our response to future emergencies or pandemics.

It is expected that this pandemic will not be the last. The zoonotic impact of COVID-19 has been relatively minor; this could well be different for future viruses. Any pandemic will have negative impacts on people, animals and our planet, but we can prepare for them and influence their effect. Challenging times provide an ideal opportunity to question accepted norms and practices, as they bring to light the weaknesses in our existing approach to animal care and management. Rapid answers are needed, and the solution may well be found outside the usual scope.

EmVetNet has demonstrated the value of the rapid development and deployment of technology. There would be great worth in strengthening and expanding this network. EmVetNet has shown that there is a need for single source information on animals, and on animal welfare during disasters. Working in partnership with educational institutes has also increased student interest in non-clinical careers including public health, One Health, public policy, and global health. Truly, the work of the network has shown the value of collaboration and highlighted the need for reflection on what can be learned during a disaster and when reporting on its aftermath.

https://doi.org/10.20506/bull.2020.NF.3137

1. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe (2020). - Mental health and COVID-19 [accessed on 24 September 2020]. www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/technical-guidance/mental-health-and-covid-19.

2. International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2020). - World Economic Outlook Update, June 2020: a crisis like no other, an uncertain recovery [accessed on 24 September 2020]. www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/06/24/WEOUpdateJune2020.

3. The World Bank (2020). - Food security and COVID-19 [accessed on 24 September 2020]. www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19.

4. Marchant-Forde J.N. & Boyle L.A. (2020). - COVID-19 effects on livestock production: a One Welfare issue. Front. Vet. Sci., 7, 734. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.585787.

5. Felix I., Martin A., Mehta V. & Mueller C. (2020). - US food supply chain: Disruptions and implications from COVID-19 [accessed on 25 September 2020]. www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/us-food-supply-chain-disruptions-and-implications-from-covid-19#.

6. Politico (2020). - Germany reckons with second wave risk [accessed on 24 September 2020]. www.politico.eu/article/germany-coronavirus-second-wave-risk-gutersloh/.

7. Polansek T. & Huffstutter P.J. (2020). - Piglets aborted, chickens gassed as pandemic slams meat sector. Reuters. 28 April 2020 [accessed on 25 September 2020]. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-livestock-insight-idUKKCN2292YS.

8. Parry N.M.A. (2020). - COVID-19 and pets: when pandemic meets panic. Forensic Sci. Int. Reports, 2, 100090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100090.

9. Kim A. (2020). - Cats and dogs abandoned at the start of the coronavirus outbreak are now starving or being killed. CNN [accessed on 25 September 2020]. www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/asia/coronavirus-animals-pets-trnd/index.html.

10. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). - Questions and answers on COVID-19 [accessed on 25 September 2020]. www.oie.int/scientific-expertise/specific-information-and-recommendations/questions-and-answers-on-2019novel-coronavirus/.

11. Owers R. (2017). - Unwanted horses - an NGO perspective [accessed on 25 September 2020]. https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/animals/docs/aw_platform_20171110_pres_05.pdf.

12. Callaway E. (2020). - Labs rush to study coronavirus in transgenic animals - some are in short supply. Nature, 579 (7798), 183-183 [accessed on 25 September 2020]. www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00698-x.

13. European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) (2020). - Reducing negative implications of COVID-19-related economic challenges for Members on population management in EAZA [accessed on 25 September 2020]. www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/Mailing-uploads/2020/2020-05-EAZA-zoos-corona-consequences-animal-pops-final.pdf.

14. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2019). - Glossary. In Terrestrial Animal Health Code. www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/tahc/current/glossaire.pdf.

15. Lee J., Hughes T., Lee M.H., Field H., Rovie-Ryan J.J., Sitam F.T., Sipangkui S., Nathan S.K.S.S., Ramirez D., Kumar S.V., Lasimbang H., Epstein J.H. & Daszak P. (2020). - No evidence of coronaviruses or other potentially zoonotic viruses in Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) entering the wildlife trade via Malaysia. bioRxiv 2020.06.19.158717. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.19.158717.

16. Ferri M. (2020). - Covid-19 and One Health. Covid-19 crisis management from a One Health perspective: can we do better? [accessed on 2 October 2020]. www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-19-one-health-maurizio-ferri.

17. Jendrny P., Schulz C., Twele F., Meller S., von Köckritz-Blickwede M., Osterhaus A.D.M.E., Ebbers J., Pilchová V., Pink I., Welte T., Manns M.P., Fathi A., Ernst C., Addo M.M., Schalke E. & Volk H.A. (2020). - Scent dog identification of samples from COVID-19 patients - a pilot study. BMC Infect. Dis., 23 July 2020; 20 (1), 536. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-020-05281-3.

18. BBC News (2020). - Coronavirus: Helsinki airport trials sniffer dogs as Covid-19 detectors. BBC News, 24 September 2020 [accessed on 2 October 2020]. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54288067.

◼ October 2020

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Overcoming the impact of COVID-19 on animal welfare:COVID-19 Thematic Platform on Animal Welfare - OIE Bulletin

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Authors N. De Briyne (1)*, P. Dalla Villa (2)*, D. Ellis (3), G. Golab (4), K. Gruszynski (5), A. Hammond-Seaman (6), S. Moody (1), Z. Noga (7), E. Pawloski (5), M. Ramos (8), H. Simmons (3), J. Tickel (3) & G.

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The conversations. https://theconversation.com/pets-and-the-pandemic-the-impact-our-animals-had-on-our-mental-health-and-wellbeing-153393. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Research shows that pets may support mental health for some people. SeventyFour

More than 50% of households in the UK are estimated to own at least one pet. And, since the outbreak of COVID-19, there's been an unprecedented increase in animal adoptions and purchases, as people seek animal companionship to tackle feelings of isolation and anxiety. While many report that having a pet has been supportive to their mental health, research on the benefits of pet ownership and mental health still remain inconclusive.

To date, evidence undoubtedly shows that interacting with animals can have a range of benefits to our mental and physical health - though it's not entirely sure what is causing these benefits. Studies have shown, for example, that owning animals may encourage physical activity. This is especially true for dog and horse owners. Research has also suggested that pets may be beneficial for mental health and wellbeing due to attachment to or companionship provided by the animal.

Yet on the other end of the spectrum, research indicates that pets can exacerbate mental health symptoms for some. Increased guilt and excessive worry have also been shown, especially for those who display a strong attachment to their pets.

But why are these findings so inconclusive? One reason for this is related to how studies in this area have been conducted. Many of the studies we currently have on this topic have relied on observational studies (such as surveys or interviews) rather than intervention research (such as a randomised controlled trial which splits subjects into two or more groups, but only allocates a treatment or intervention to one of the groups to see the effect). This can make it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about their results. A tendency to publish positive results over negative ones (called " publication bias ") may also have a negative impact on people's perceptions.

Pandemic pets

The pandemic has also changed how we interact with our pets. At the University of York, co-authors Dr Elena Ratschen and Dr Emily Shoesmith conducted a large survey of 5,926 people (5,323 pet owners, and 603 non-owners) which investigated human-animal relationships during the UK's first lockdown. Our study found that nearly 90% of pet owners reported their pet had helped them to cope better emotionally during lockdown.

Participants who owned pets were reported to have poorer mental health before the lockdown compared to non-pet owners, indicating potentially greater vulnerability. But pet owners showed less deterioration in their mental health and feelings of loneliness during the lockdown. This might indicate that pets have a "protective" effect on owners' mental health. Interestingly, owners' feelings of closeness to their pet did not vary significantly by animal species.

Additional analysis of our results shows that a sense of companionship and connectedness, as well as distraction from feelings of distress, a source of motivation when feeling low, and an animal's intuitive responses might explain why they've largely been beneficial to owners during lockdown. But our study also showed that pet ownership during the pandemic has caused concerns, including worries about restricted veterinary access, economic hardship, and what would happen to the pet if the owner became ill.

Another survey of 1,356 participants also found that pets may have influenced the decisions and access to healthcare that people had during the pandemic. The researchers found that participants may delay seeking healthcare due to concern for their pet's welfare or if they're unable to find appropriate care for their animal. A number of pet owners also said they would forgo medical care to avoid separation from their pet.

Whether owning a pet benefited a person's mental health during the pandemic also depends on the restrictions in place. For example, if time spent outdoors and travelling even short distances are restricted, this can cause concern for dog owners as they may not be able to walk their dog as often or as long as they'd like. Horse owners may also face particular challenges in looking after and exercising their animals.

Importantly, the evidence does not suggest that people who don't currently (or have never) owned pets would benefit from doing so during - and after - the pandemic. This is a key point to make, as the widespread belief that owning a pet can help people cope during the pandemic may be to blame for a steep increase in pet theft and related violence.

There are also concerns over increased relinquishment, rehoming, or abandonment of pets - for example if the owner becomes unable to care for their pet due to financial reasons, or if they don't have the time to look after their pet after returning to work. Pet ownership is not something to be taken lightly. Perhaps people need instead to look first into alternatives for improving mental health - such as exercise or mindfulness meditation.

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Pets and the pandemic: the impact our animals had on our mental health and wellbeing

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Pets both helped and harmed mental health.

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CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Important update: Healthcare facilities

CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more

The risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people is low.

The virus can spread from people to animals during close contact.

More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19.

People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife.

For Pet Owners, Veterinarians, & Public Health Officials

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people, while others cause illness in certain types of animals, such as cattle, camels, and bats. Some coronaviruses, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, infect only animals and do not infect people.

Risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people

Based on the available information to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.

At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by SARS-CoV-2.

Some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people, but this is rare. This is what happened with SARS-CoV-2, which likely originated in bats.

Risk of people spreading SARS-CoV-2 to animals

People can spread SARS-CoV-2 to animals, especially during close contact.

Reports of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been documented around the world. Most of these animals became infected after contact with people with COVID-19, including owners, caretakers, or others who were in close contact. We don't yet know all of the animals that can get infected. Animals reported infected include:

Companion animals, including pet cats, dogs, and ferrets.

Animals in zoos and sanctuaries, including several types of big cats, otters, non-human primates, a binturong, a coatimundi, a fishing cat, and hyenas.

Mink on mink farms.

Wild white-tailed deer in several U.S. states.

For information on how to protect pets and animals:

Mink and SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in farmed mink worldwide. Currently, there is no evidence that mink are playing a significant role in the spread of COVID-19 to people.

SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in mink on farms in multiple countries.

In the United States, respiratory disease and increases in mink deaths have been seen on most affected mink farms. However, some infected mink might also appear healthy. Infected workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink on the farms, and the virus then began to spread among the mink. Once the virus is introduced on a farm, spread can occur between mink, as well as from mink to other animals on the farm (dogs, cats). One wild and one escaped mink found near affected farms in Utah were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Currently, there is no evidence that mink play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people. However, there is a possibility of mink spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people on mink farms. Mink-to-human spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland, and new data suggest it might have occurred in the United States.

Investigations found that mink from a Michigan farm and a small number of people were infected with SARS-CoV-2 that contained unique mink-related mutations (changes in the virus's genetic material). This suggests mink-to-human spread might have occurred.

Finding these mutations in mink on the Michigan farm is not unexpected because they have been seen before in mink from farms in the Netherlands and Denmark, and also in people linked to mink farms worldwide.

To confirm the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from mink to people, public health officials would need more information on the epidemiology and genetics of the virus in mink, mink farm workers, and the communities around mink farms.

These results highlight the importance of routinely studying the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 in susceptible animal populations like mink, as well as in people.

Research on animals and COVID-19

More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19.

Many studies have been done to learn more about how this virus can affect different animals. These findings were based on a small number of animals, and do not show whether animals can spread infection to people.

Recent experimental research shows that many mammals, including cats, dogs, bank voles, ferrets, fruit bats, hamsters, mink, pigs, rabbits, racoon dogs, tree shrews, and white-tailed deer can be infected with the virus. Cats, ferrets, fruit bats, hamsters, racoon dogs, and white-tailed deer can also spread the infection to other animals of the same species in laboratory settings.

A number of studies have investigated non-human primates as models for human infection. Rhesus macaques, cynomolgus macaques, baboons, grivets, and common marmosets can become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and become sick in a laboratory setting. There is some evidence suggesting that laboratory mice, which could not be infected with original strains of SARS-CoV-2, can be infected with new virus variants.

Chickens and ducks do not seem to become infected or spread the infection based on results from studies.

What CDC is doing

Since the beginning of the pandemic, CDC has been leading efforts to improve our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 affects animals and how the virus might spread between people and animals. CDC has also worked to improve coordination of federal, state, and other One Health partners.

CDC leads the One Health Federal Interagency COVID-19 Coordination (OH-FICC) Group, which brings together public health, animal health, and environmental health representatives from more than 20 federal agencies to collaborate and exchange information on the One Health aspects of COVID-19. For example, the group researches and develops guidance on the connection between people and pets, wildlife, zoo animals, and livestock; animal diagnostics and testing; and environmental health issues relevant to COVID-19.

CDC leads the State-Federal One Health Update Call to bring local, state, tribal, and territorial partners together with OH-FICC members.

CDC, USDA, state public health and animal health officials, and academic partners are working in some states to conduct active surveillance (proactive testing) of SARS-CoV-2 in pets, including cats, dogs, and other small mammals, that had contact with a person with COVID-19.

CDC deployed One Health teams to multiple states to support state and local departments of health and agriculture, federal partners, and others in conducting on-farm investigations into SARS-CoV-2 in people, mink, and other animals (domestic and wildlife). The teams collected samples from animals on the farms and from people working on the farms and in surrounding communities. These investigations are ongoing.

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Important update: Healthcare facilities CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more The risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people is low. The virus can spread from people to animals during close contact.

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PMC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7876268/. accessed 29 april 2022

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Jacqueline Baptista, ¹ Dominique Blache, 2, ³ Keren Cox-Witton, ⁴ Nicola Craddock, ⁵ Toni Dalziel, ⁶ Nicolas de Graaff, ⁵ Jill Fernandes, 3, ⁷ Ronda Green, ⁸ Helen Jenkins, ⁹ Sarah Kahn, ¹⁰ Deborah Kelly, ⁶ Mariko Lauber, ¹¹ Shane K. Maloney, 3, ¹² Bridget Peachey, ¹³ Ian Rodger, ¹⁴ Jeremy Skuse, ¹⁵ Alan J. Tilbrook, 3, 7,* Frederick Rohan Walker, 3, ¹⁶ Kelly Wall, ⁹ and Sarah Zito ¹⁷

Abstract

We report on the various responses in Australia during 2020 to minimize negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of animals. Most organizations and individuals with animals under their care had emergency preparedness plans in place for various scenarios; however, the restrictions on human movement to contain the spread of COVID-19, coupled with the economic impact and the health effects of COVID-19 on the skilled workforce, constituted a new threat to animal welfare for which there was no blueprint. The spontaneous formation of a national, multisectoral response group on animal welfare, consisting of more than 34 organizations with animals under their care, facilitated information flow during the crisis, which helped to mitigate some of the shocks to different organizations and to ensure continuity of care for animals during the pandemic. We conclude that animal welfare is a shared responsibility, and accordingly, a multisectoral approach to animal welfare during a crisis is required. Our experience demonstrates that to safeguard animal welfare during crises, nations should consider the following: a national risk assessment, clear communication channels, contingency plans for animal welfare, a crisis response group, and support systems for animal care providers. Our findings and recommendations from the Australian context may inform other countries to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised during the course of unpredictable events.

Keywords: animal welfare, COVID-19 pandemic, cross-sectoral collaboration, stakeholder networks, Australia

Introduction

In early 2020, humanity faced an almost unprecedented situation when a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease known as COVID-19, changed life around the world ( 1). The virus continues to cause death, illness, strain on health systems, societal disruption, and economic damage. Based on experience with other pandemics, like the 1918 influenza pandemic, COVID-19 will likely disrupt human society for years to come ( 2). The World Health Organization (WHO) described SARS-CoV-2 as "a new strain [of coronavirus] that has not been previously identified in humans" ( 3). On 30 January 2020 the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" ( 4). On 28 February 2020 the WHO raised COVID-19 to the highest level of global risk ( 5). Many countries, including Australia, implemented measures that were aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on human movement, improved hygiene, and social distancing (henceforth referred to as physical distancing) to reduce human contact.

In Australia, the rapid introduction of government restrictions on human movement posed complex challenges, because Australia is a federation of states and territories ( 6). On 19 March 2020, the Australian Federal Government closed international borders to all non-citizens and non-residents ( 7) and then from 26 March 2020, state governments limited travel between all Australian states ( 8) and to remote communities ( 9). Meanwhile, on 16 March 2020, the Australian Federal Government imposed physical distancing, and state governments restricted the number of people who could gather in a group, from two to five people, depending on the state ( 10, 11). Consequently, many public places were closed, including cafes and restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks. The containment measures were effective in curtailing new infections, and in June, restrictions were gradually eased ( 12). A second wave of infections in the state of Victoria in late June prompted the Victorian Premier to place the Melbourne metropolitan area and the Mitchell Shire under tighter restrictions from 7 July 2020 ( 13). On 2 August 2020, restrictions were expanded to the remainder of the state, and Victoria entered a State of Disaster ( 14). In response, other jurisdictions tightened their restrictions on the entry of people coming from declared hot spots ( 15).

Both the health effects of COVID-19 and the measures to contain the pandemic created challenges for the economy, employment, food supply and consumption, and human social activities. Consequently, the pandemic threatened to impact the welfare of animals. Animals are integral to human society. Animals contribute to human well-being, and their welfare often depends on the capacity of humans to provide care for them. In Australia, animal welfare is regulated by legislation in each jurisdiction. The legislation promotes that organizations and individuals with animals under their care plan ahead for the welfare of the animals ( 16- 24). Most organizations with a responsibility for animals have in place emergency preparedness plans for natural disasters and animal disease outbreaks. Nevertheless, these plans were not always suitable for coping with an unpredictable event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A significant risk to animal welfare that defied planning was the extent to which human movement was restricted. The need to restrict human movement and limit social gatherings was identified at the Federal level as early as March, but the manner of implementation of "do not leave home" orders varied between jurisdictions and even local regions. Therefore, multiple organizations made requests to governments for explicit permission for movement associated with animal care (e.g., veterinary care and routine husbandry). Along these lines, the classification of veterinarians, livestock transporters, and animal welfare inspectors as essential services was also pursued by many organizations that are responsible for animal care. In response to these requests, movement restrictions were discussed in a meeting of officials from state, territory and Federal departments on 17 April, and the meeting of Ministers of Agriculture from all jurisdictions on 7 May. Subsequently, the issue of movement restrictions was resolved through clarifications by State and Territory Governments up to the start of the second wave in Victoria. Border restrictions with Victoria were tightened again, causing additional challenges for those moving animals and caring for animals across borders.

In addition to the governmental responses, other sectors of Australian society responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the remainder of this article, for each industry and organization that deals with animals and their welfare (hereafter referred to as sectors), we outline the specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and on the welfare of their animals. Where appropriate, we discuss their level of preparedness. Then we describe the spontaneous formation of a national, multisectoral response group, and how this group assisted different animal sectors in dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal welfare. We conclude with several recommendations that might be beneficial to countries and groups in safeguarding animal welfare in the course of unpredictable events.

Sector Responses to The Covid-19 Pandemic

Red Meat Production

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic there was concern that livestock transport across state and intrastate borders would be restricted and that supply chains would be disrupted, which could impact the welfare of animals in that chain. In Australia, livestock are often transported long distances across borders. In the early weeks of the containment measures, there was panic buying of red meat at supermarkets ( 25), which put pressure on the supply chain and the demand for transport. There was also concern that livestock saleyards would close because their operation requires the gathering of people. Several organizations that represent the red meat sector sought clarification from authorities, and urged authorities to classify movements that are associated with livestock production as essential services ( 26). An industry response was coordinated by several peak industry bodies. There were guidelines released around physical distancing in saleyards, and online bidding was encouraged as an alternative to physically attending sales ( 27). The Australian Federal Government also provided visa extensions for agricultural workers to ensure ongoing support for the husbandry requirements of livestock production ( 28). Furthermore, in March 2020 the Australian Federal Government introduced the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM). This was a temporary, emergency measure to help restore critical global supply chains which had been heavily impacted by COVID-19 containment measures around the world. Exports benefitting from this support included lobsters from Western Australia, Victorian lamb, and Tasmanian salmon. IFAM helped to ease pressures on animal production supply chains by maintaining the flow of high-value, time-sensitive, and perishable exports ( 29).

Concerns were raised about the live export of cattle and sheep, such as getting veterinarians and livestock handlers to the ships and home from international ports. If ship crew contracted the disease, or international borders or ports were closed, contingencies would need to be in place to ensure that the animals health and welfare could be maintained. In the event of canceled shipments, animals would need to be held for longer periods in quarantine feedlots until an alternate destination or domestic processing could be arranged ( 30).

In late May, the MV Al Kuwait livestock carrier arrived in Freemantle Port, Western Australia, with 12 crew members infected with COVID-19 ( 31). By 2 June, 21 members of the 48-person crew had tested positive to COVID-19, causing the export of 56,000 sheep to the Middle East to be postponed ( 32). The Australian Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment rejected the exporter's initial request for an exemption to the Northern Summer Order, which prohibits live export of sheep by sea to the Middle East during the months of June to mid-September. However, the voyage was later approved to embark subject to a number of conditions; this decision recognized the "exceptional circumstances resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic" ( 33).

Pork and Chicken Meat Production

A major welfare concern for intensive livestock industries, such as pork and chicken meat production, was the risk of disruption to the supply chain if personnel in the supply chain contracted the virus. Concerns included shortages of feed and other supplies, shortages of staff to maintain animal care, and reduced processing capacity, causing overcrowding and a backlog of animals at farms. The latter could lead to the need for the humane destruction of animals on farm. Pigs and broiler chickens were identified as being particularly vulnerable because of their targeted weight gain and the potential for health problems if they are not slaughtered at the scheduled age. Because these production systems operate as a continuous supply of animals, a disruption in slaughter capacity would result in over-production. Broiler chickens reach slaughter age at 30-60 days, so it takes about 2 months to reduce production levels ( 34). For pigs, the oversupply would last at least 3 months before systems would reach a new steady state at reduced supply, and if the supply was reduced, it would also take several months to return to normal production levels ( 35).

In the state of Victoria, the second wave of COVID-19 infections in June led to a 34% reduction in meat processing capacity because of measures to avoid the overlap of shifts and to ensure physical distancing ( 36). When the processing capacity in Victoria was impacted, then the Governments of Victoria and South Australia (SA) arranged for pigs and broilers to be transported across the SA border, and to be processed in SA. The pork industry was relatively well-prepared for the changes in processing capacity, because emergency preparedness plans had been established due to the threat of an incursion of African Swine Fever. Much of the pork industry had strict biosecurity measures in place and had the capacity to isolate animals. Pork processing establishments had the ability to close at short notice. Australian Pork Limited (APL) communicated with pork producers to determine that there would be an extra 2 weeks reserve space on farms to handle the backlog of pigs that would be caused when processing capacity was reduced. APL also investigated the fast tracking of research on humane methods for the mass killing of pigs. In other countries, for example the United States, the closure of meat processing facilities led to hundreds of thousands of pigs and chickens being humanely destroyed ( 37, 38), but this did not happen in Australia.

Eggs, Milk, and Wool Production

In livestock sectors where products are harvested on farm, such as in eggs, milk, and wool production, the main concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic were about possible interruptions to the feed supply chain and reduction in workforce capacity. Australian Eggs urged egg farmers to review their access to supplies and to identify any supply chains that might be jeopardized due to national or state restrictions related to the pandemic ( 39). Representatives from Australian Dairy Farmers, Australian Dairy Products Federation, and Dairy Australia worked to ensure that dairy activities were classified as an "essential service" and implemented measures to keep supply chains operating ( 40).

In the wool industry, shearers normally travel within Australia, and from New Zealand to Australia, for seasonal shearing and crutching (removal of the perianal wool). The restrictions on international and domestic movement meant that shearers could not travel. Shearing and crutching are done for production purposes but are also critical to the welfare of sheep. Specific welfare risks of not being shorn include build-up of moisture, urine, and feces in the wool, which can lead to fleece rot and flystrike, wool blindness, and skin irritation and infections ( 41). The wool industry requested visa exemptions for New Zealand shearers and produced guidelines to reduce physical contact during shearing. As of September, the request for exemptions had not been granted.

Aquaculture

The aquaculture sector was impacted by major market shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were caused by the closure of restaurants and catering services and a reduction of export capacity. At the start of the pandemic, there was some concern that these shifts in market demand could cause financial constraints for producers, who then might not be able to pay for veterinary investigations and feed, which could result in poor health and welfare outcomes ( 42). Similar to the situation with the pork and chicken supply chain, there was a risk of oversupply in the aquaculture supply chain, which could impact animal welfare. Finished aquaculture stock might not be able to be moved off farm, because aquaculture commonly uses ponds and sea cages that cater for a finite volume of stock.

As the food service and export markets contracted, the aquaculture sector quickly shifted their sales channels to meet the increase in demand by Australian consumers, who began cooking more from home during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 43). For example, Barramundi farmers urged consumers to buy Australian barramundi ( 44). By May, international air freight had expanded, partly due to the Australian Federal Government establishing an International Freight Assistance Mechanism ( 29). With the increased ability of the sector to access international markets, pressure on the supply chain eased.

Zoos and Aquariums

In the early stages of the pandemic, zoos and aquariums saw a loss of income due to forced closure to the public, which put at risk their ability to provide appropriate care to the exhibited animals. Zoos and aquariums rely on gate entry fees to finance the cost of animal care (e.g., electricity for temperature control and water quality/life support systems, costs of feeding, costs of maintaining animal enclosures, costs of veterinary care and treatment). Without such income, zoos and aquariums had to draw on reserves as well as significantly realign expenditure to sustain appropriate care. Some facilities estimated 8 weeks of resources remained before they would need to permanently close. Normally when a facility closes, animals are relocated to other facilities, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, relocation was not possible because neither the sending nor receiving institution had the financial resources for relocation costs or the care of additional animals. There was concern that pressures to sustain animal care across multiple facilities may lead to difficult decisions. In other countries, the humane destruction of exotic and native animals was being openly considered ( 45).

Members of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) in Australia participate in vital conservation programs, conduct wildlife rescue, and participate in a number of Australian Government Threatened Species Recovery programs. As conservation businesses, they play an important role in the protection and welfare of Australian native species, and a role in rehabilitation and species recovery after the summer bushfire season. Threats to the viability of zoo and aquarium businesses posed by the COVID-19 pandemic put this important work at risk.

When zoos and aquariums were closed to the public, a welfare issue was identified in the reduction of human interaction with the animals. The human-animal relationship is important to the welfare of some captive animals ( 46), and various zoos and aquariums reported signs of negative affect in their animals during the closure period. For example, Cairns Aquarium observed that larger species, particularly Maori wrasse and Queensland groupers, exhibited depression-like signs, such as refusal to eat ( 47).

The risk of human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was highlighted by sporadic reports abroad ( 48). Precautions were taken by zoo and aquarium personnel and veterinarians to minimize contact with animals at high risk, such as large cats and primates. No incidents of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals have been reported in Australia.

Given the importance of the sector to tourism, on 28 April, the Australian Federal Government released a $94.6 million package to ZAA accredited zoos and aquariums, and other wildlife businesses, to support the ongoing provision of animal care ( 49). Non-government zoos and aquariums could apply for the Federal Government JobKeeper program to assist with staffing costs ( 50). In addition to the support package from the Australian Federal Government, some jurisdictions provided financial support to smaller businesses, with grants administered by state tourism or development agencies ( 51- 53).

Prior to the announcement of the support package from the Australian Federal Government, ZAA had explored animal feed solutions with other animal industries (e.g., the meat processing sector), where collaboration would reduce the cost of care for animals at zoos and aquariums. The use of trucks and provision of whole carcasses at a reduced cost were sought to assist in maintaining animals' care. Following the release of the Australian Federal Government support package, ZAA continued to explore opportunities to reduce the costs of care, because it was recognized that zoos and aquariums might have reduced visitation in the medium term.

Wildlife Parks and Mobile Exhibitors

Like zoos and aquariums, wildlife parks depend on visitors for revenue. Some wildlife parks did not qualify for grants under the Australian Federal Government support package, but most retained their employees through the Australian Federal Government JobKeeper program. Many wildlife parks received food donations, and others started online crowd funding campaigns ( 54). As for zoos and aquariums, the animals in wildlife parks probably experienced loss of the enrichment that is normally provided by the interaction with visitors.

Wildlife mobile exhibitors (such as petting zoos and mobile farms) were significantly impacted by the closure of schools and the banning of gatherings such as birthday parties. When public schools re-opened, many exhibitors were still prohibited from entering schools. Because country shows (fairs) can provide up to 70% of the income for some operators, the cancellation of country shows had a significant impact on many wildlife mobile exhibitors. While mobile exhibitors could not access the Federal financial assistance that was provided to the zoo and aquarium sector, some jurisdictions did provide assistance ( 51, 52). For example, the Queensland Government provided a $0.5 million grant to support the licensed mobile sector. The rationale for that support was that the mobile exhibitor sector in Queensland contributes toward awareness and education of Australia's native species ( 51). When public schools re-opened, many exhibitors were still prohibited from entering. During this time, the animals in mobile shows were maintained, but many operators faced significant financial issues.

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, most wildlife rescue organizations were recovering from the impacts of the summer bushfires, which devastated large portions of habitat in eastern and south-eastern Australia ( 55). Some rescue organizations had financial reserves from bushfire donations. Their ability to collect additional donations, or accept volunteers, was limited, which increased the workload and created the need for alternative feed supplies. Wildlife Health Australia (WHA) was concerned that the COVID-19 crisis could impact animal welfare if workers could not attend to the needs of the wildlife in their care, or free-ranging wildlife under their management (e.g., threatened species programs). WHA highlighted the necessity for people in wildlife care and emergency response roles, both paid and voluntary, to be recognized as "essential workers" by governments ( 56). WHA also encouraged those who care for wildlife to develop contingency plans in the event that they became sick or had to self-isolate ( 57). There were also potential impacts on conservation and welfare when wildlife research was discontinued due to public health concerns or financial constraints related to COVID-19.

In some other countries, concern about the potential risk of transmission of COVID-19 from humans to wildlife, particularly bats, resulted in the suspension or restriction of rehabilitation and research ( 58, 59). Similar concerns were raised in Australia, alongside concerns about the negative welfare impacts if restrictions were imposed. WHA worked with government and non-government stakeholders to assess the risk within the Australian context and to provide advice on biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of transmission while rehabilitation and research continued ( 60). One positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of the decrease in international travel, may have been a reduction in the lucrative, illegal smuggling of wildlife out of, and into, Australia ( 61). Reduced traffic through national parks and other wildlife areas likely reduced roadkill and disturbance of animals, but it might have also increased opportunities for smugglers to collect animals undetected.

Horse and Greyhound Racing

Horse and greyhound racing continued throughout Australia during the pandemic, except in the state of Tasmania ( 62). Betting continued online, but revenue from on-course betting, gate takings, restaurant and bar services, and stud fees all decreased because of both the economic downturn and the restrictions on attendance at the races. With reduced revenue from racing, there was a concern that horse owners would no longer employ trainers and veterinarians. If trainers were not being paid, they could return horses to their owners, who may not have the facilities, knowledge, or capacity to care for them. The capacity to rescue unwanted horses was also reduced, as horse rescue groups experienced a decrease in donations and were unable to run fundraising events.

Although greyhounds are less expensive to maintain than horses, the greyhound industry was affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Greyhound racing continued under strict COVID-19 containment protocols that were quickly implemented in each jurisdiction, including fewer staff on track, limited participant attendance, the regionalising of race-day officials in some jurisdictions, and the implementation of strict pre-entry health checks. Some jurisdictions also moved to a regional racing format, for a period, where participants were required to race within specific regions. Border closures limited the ability of some greyhound owners and trainers to cross state borders to access greyhound tracks. Despite income loss for some greyhound owners and trainers during this time, care for the animals was maintained.

Animals Used in Research and Teaching

When the pandemic started, research and teaching institutions responded in the first instance with a change to staffing processes. They divided their animal care staff into two teams, who worked alternate shifts to provide around-the-clock care for animals, as required by Australian laws, and to reduce the risk that an entire workforce would become infected. Access to animal houses was restricted to essential people. Teaching with animals ceased, but most research continued under modified conditions. Animal Ethics Committees (AECs) carefully scrutinized changes to protocols, and the contingency plans that had to be developed for each project. There was a reduction in breeding for animal colonies, where appropriate.

An initial concern was that research animals would have to be humanely destroyed if researchers were unable to access those animals in their experiments ( 63), but Animal Welfare Officers from major research providers have reported that very few animals were culled due to the cancellation of research projects. Research projects that had already commenced were permitted to continue once contingency plans were developed and approved. Non-urgent new projects were deferred. Many researchers were given a 12-month extension by their AEC for animal work that had not commenced.

In some research institutions, animal care staff took on research activities (such as monitoring) rather than have researchers attend, and researchers were taught basic animal husbandry in case the animal care staff were unable to work. In primary and secondary schools with animals, rosters were put in place to care for animals during school closure.

Companion Animals

In the early stages of the pandemic, there was concern that tight controls on human movement and the closure of borders would discourage people from seeking veterinary assistance, leaving home to care for animals (e.g., horses in agistment), or transporting supplies and animals. In March, some organizations, including Animal Health Australia (AHA), the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Australia, contacted the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to request that veterinarians be classified as an essential service. The request was granted. The AVA also re-affirmed that veterinarians could conduct telemedicine consultations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 64).

Many animal shelters struggled financially due to the closure of charity shops and fundraising events that normally provide support for their work. At the beginning of the pandemic, RSPCA Australia led a "clear the shelter" campaign, which was highly successful in increasing pet adoptions, and non-RSPCA shelters reported an increase in pet adoptions. It was suggested that the government "stay at home" directions also might have motivated some people to adopt pets ( 65). There were some delays in pet adoptions, because the gonadectomization of animals was considered a non-essential surgery and was discouraged (although not prohibited) during lockdown ( 66). By late June, there had been some returns of animals to shelters, but the overall outcome was a net reduction of animals in shelters ( 67). Veterinarians reported a rise in pet behavioral issues ( 68), which might have been a result of the increase in adoptions.

Another consideration was how animal care could be sustained if a pet owner became sick or hospitalized. To deal with that risk, some city councils and shelters implemented networks of foster carers ( 69). There was concern that horse owners might be unwilling or unable to meet the expense of maintaining their horses if the owners lost income. A few cases of COVID-19 in dogs and cats were reported in different countries around the world ( 70), and there was concern that public fear of zoonotic transmission might cause people to abandon their pets. Several organizations provided information to the public to assert that pets were not considered at risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 in households and the community ( 71). RSPCA Australia also provided information on advising pet owners on how to care for animals under the restrictions, how to keep citizens and their animals safe, and also to address potential welfare issues such as lack of socialization of puppies, behavioral and welfare issues when owners went back to work, and animals being scared by people wearing masks. RSPCA Australia also provided emergency resources for people on how to make plans for their animals in the case that they might get sick or be unable to care for their animals, either during the pandemic or for other reasons.

Formation of a National, Multisectoral Response Group

On 24 March 2020, the Zoo and Aquarium Association approached The Animal Welfare Collaborative (TAWC), a collective of universities, organizations, companies, and individuals that was formed in 2018 with the common goal of improving the welfare of animals. ZAA sought information on how other animal sectors were responding to COVID-19-related challenges. TAWC responded by contacting the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; Animal Health Australia; and the National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Research, Development and Extension Strategy (NAWRDES). On 27 March, TAWC, NAWRDES, and AHA created a national, multisectoral response group, called the COVID-19 Animal Welfare Response Reference Group (COVAWRRG). More than 34 organizations participated in the group, including the Federal, State and Territory departments of primary industries, animal protection organizations, the livestock production and processing sectors, the aquaculture, wildlife, and animal racing sectors, the zoo and aquarium sector, the animals in research and teaching sector, and the companion animal sector. The COVAWRRG met weekly during the early stages of the pandemic, and later fortnightly, to share critical sector updates on emerging COVID-19-related challenges to animal welfare, and to coordinate responses.

Within the first 2 months of the pandemic, key outcomes of the COVAWRRG included clarification on the regulation of the cross-border transport of animals, identification of the need to travel across state and intrastate borders to care for animals, and considerations for rapid-depopulation and culling in response to COVID-19 impacts on processing capacity. The need to classify veterinarians and other key personnel as an essential service, and to support zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks in financial hardship were also key issues raised in the COVAWRRG. During the second wave of COVID-19, government statements and industry plans addressed animal welfare concerns with greater clarity than they did during the first wave, a preparedness that may have resulted in part from COVAWRRG discussions. For example, the statement by the Premier of Victoria on 3 August 2020 that indicated that Stage 4 restrictions were to be reinstated, specified that all agricultural, food production businesses, animal care, and necessary support services could continue to operate as normal. The emphasis on animal care could be attributed to the awareness of the issues that had been raised.

Recommendations for Future Crises

1. National risk assessment - There is a need for a national framework for risk assessment of animal welfare, across all sectors, to identify potential risks to animal welfare, not just animal disease risks.

2. Clear communication channels - There is a need for clear communication channels among industries and Organizations that deal with animals and their welfare, and for consistent, streamlined, and easy-to-access communication strategies for the public.

3. Contingency plans for animal welfare - Sectors that are responsible for the care of animals need crisis response plans in place, covering everything that could disrupt animal care. Risks include natural disasters, biosecurity events, supply chain shocks, Labor disruptions, movement restrictions on personnel, financial hardship, feed supply shortage, and limitations to transport and processing capacity. Contingency plans must cover financial hardship, and they need to identify resource reserves that can be used to ensure that the care of the animals is not compromised. Sectors should document the arrangements that were developed for the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporate these into contingency plans.

4. Crisis response group - In the event of a crisis that has not been forecasted, it is essential to quickly assemble relevant sectors to identify common issues, coordinate responses, exchange information and support, and develop appropriate solutions. The COVAWRRG might have been the first example of such a cross-sectoral crisis response group in animal welfare. Ongoing collaborative partnerships among sectors will no doubt facilitate the assembly of a crisis response group in the future.

5. Support systems for animal care providers - Challenges to human mental health during a crisis may compromise one's ability to provide adequate care for animals or to perceive when animal welfare is at risk. Support systems for animal care providers during times of crisis should be developed by each sector.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic created angst and fear across society in addition to the health threats that it posed and touched all Australian sectors that care for animals. The spontaneous formation of the COVAWRRG, a national, multisectoral response group on animal welfare, facilitated the flow of information and helped to mitigate shocks to different sectors and to ensure the continuity of care for animals. The COVAWRRG provided a platform for communication and collaboration for 34 diverse organizations, including the Federal, State and Territory departments of primary industries, animal protection organizations, the livestock production and processing sectors, the aquaculture, wildlife, and animal racing sectors, the zoo and aquarium sector, the animals in research and teaching sector, and the companion animal sector. The activity of the COVAWRRG demonstrated that the responsibility for animal welfare is shared by multiple enactors across society, and therefore, multisectoral collaboration is an efficient way of addressing complex challenges in animal welfare ( 72). The experience of the COVAWRRG provides insight on mechanisms to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised during unpredictable events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions generated for this study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

Author Contributions

DB, JF, SM, and AT drafted the manuscript. All authors provided information and contributed to the editing of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

JB was employed by the company JB Consulting and author BP was employed by the company Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The COVAWRRG would like to thank Kelly-Ann Allen, Wayne Collier, Julie Fiedler, Elise Spark, and Justin Toohey for their comments on the manuscript and all people who contributed to the COVAWRRG discussions.

References

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71. Parry NM. COVID-19 and pets: When pandemic meets panic. Forensic Sci Int. (2020) 2:100090 10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100090 [[ CrossRef] Google Scholar]

72. Fernandes J, Blache D, Maloney SK, Martin GB, Venus B, Walker FR, et al. Addressing animal welfare through collaborative stakeholder networks. Agriculture. (2019) 9:132 10.3390/agriculture9060132 [[ CrossRef] Google Scholar]

Articles from Frontiers in Veterinary Science are provided here courtesy of Frontiers Media SA

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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Australia

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We report on the various responses in Australia during 2020 to minimize negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of animals. Most organizations and individuals with animals under their care had emergency preparedness plans in place for ...

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Williams, Jane. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/special_issues/COVID-19_Welfare. Accessed 29 April 2022.

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A topical collection in Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This collection belongs to the section " Animal Welfare".

Editors

School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
Interests: equine and animal welfare; wellbeing; behaviour; cognition; training and education; horse-human interaction; social licence to operate
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic represents a significant international challenge due to a lack of existing innate immunity or availability of an effective vaccine (Wang et al., 2020). The novelty of the virus and its clinical presentation have spurred research and publication at a previously unprecedented speed. Although the primary focus of much of this research is on clinical management in humans (World Health Organisation, 2020) and the likely origin of the virus (Rothan and Byrareddy, 2020), other areas of research importance, including the economic and ecological impacts of this global pandemic, are rapidly emerging. The necessary implementation of social distancing measures to reduce infection rates in populations has already had unintended consequences on animal management and welfare.

Understanding the current impact of this crisis on animal management and welfare, at local and global levels, is essential to reflect on the success of approaches implemented to protect animal welfare. Lessons learnt can help identify the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and inform future strategies to support animals, their owners and keepers, and the broader animal industries to emerge successfully from this pandemic. This Special Issue of Animals seeks papers that address this challenge.

Original manuscripts, research or review papers, that relate to any aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on animal management, conservation or welfare in companion animals, exotic animals, equids, farm animals, wild animals and zoo animals; or that consider the dynamic relationship between animals and their owners/keepers; or that consider the impact of the pandemic within wider animal industry contexts are welcomed for this Special Issue.

Topics of interest include evidence-based studies focused on the impact of COVID-19 on animal management and welfare, or those that evaluate the impact of the pandemic on companion, wild or zoo animals, including applied studies. Alongside this, we also invite studies that consider challenges arising from the pandemic to different sectors of the animal industry or that consider the impact of social distancing measures on human-animal relationships. All studies must use objective measurement to ensure reliable and valid evaluation of outcomes.
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Keywords

coronavirus

COVID-19

social distancing

animal welfare

animal management

equine welfare

equine management

farm animal management

companion animal welfare

wildlife conservation

human-animal relationships

welfare

wellbeing

lockdown

health

caregiver mental health

Published Papers (22 papers)

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Household Domestic Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3007

Animal infections with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in different countries and several animal species have been proven to be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 both naturally and by experimental infection. Moreover, infections under natural conditions in more than 20 mink farms have been [...] Read more.

Animal infections with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in different countries and several animal species have been proven to be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 both naturally and by experimental infection. Moreover, infections under natural conditions in more than 20 mink farms have been reported where humans could have been the source of infection for minks. However, little information is available about the susceptibility of pet animals under natural conditions and currently there is no SARS-CoV-2 epidemiological assessment occurrence in household ferrets. In this study, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was evaluated in serum samples obtained from 127 household ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo) in the Province of Valencia (Spain). Two ferrets tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 (1.57%) by in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen. Furthermore, anti-RBD SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persisted at detectable levels in a seropositive SARS-CoV-2 domestic ferret beyond 129 days since the first time antibodies were detected. This study reports for the first time the evidence of household pet ferrets exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in Spain to date. Full article

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Impact of COVID-19 on Animal Management and Welfare

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Special Issue in journal Animals: Impact of COVID-19 on Animal Management and Welfare

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Baptista, Jacqueline. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.621843/full. Accessed 29 April 2022

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Jacqueline Baptista ¹, Dominique Blache 2,3,

Keren Cox-Witton ⁴,

Nicola Craddock ⁵,

Toni Dalziel ⁶,

Nicolas de Graaff ⁵, Jill Fernandes 3,7,

Ronda Green ⁸, Helen Jenkins ⁹,

Sarah Kahn ¹⁰,

Deborah Kelly ⁶,

Mariko Lauber ¹¹, Shane K. Maloney 3,12,

Bridget Peachey ¹³,

Ian Rodger ¹⁴, Jeremy Skuse ¹⁵, Alan J. Tilbrook 3,7*, Frederick Rohan Walker 3,16,

Kelly Wall ⁹ and

Sarah Zito ¹⁷

JB Consulting, Seaforth, NSW, Australia

School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

The Animal Welfare Collaborative, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia

Wildlife Health Australia, Mosman, NSW, Australia

Zoo and Aquarium Association, Mosman, NSW, Australia

Department for Environment and Water, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia

Wildlife Tourism Australia, Running Creek, QLD, Australia

Animal Health Australia, Turner, ACT, Australia

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Government of Western Australia, South Perth, WA, Australia

Greyhound Racing Victoria, West Melbourne, VIC, Australia

School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

Australian Wool Innovation Limited, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Animal Welfare Connections, Hurstbridge, VIC, Australia

School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

RSPCA Australia, Deakin West, ACT, Australia

We report on the various responses in Australia during 2020 to minimize negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of animals. Most organizations and individuals with animals under their care had emergency preparedness plans in place for various scenarios; however, the restrictions on human movement to contain the spread of COVID-19, coupled with the economic impact and the health effects of COVID-19 on the skilled workforce, constituted a new threat to animal welfare for which there was no blueprint. The spontaneous formation of a national, multisectoral response group on animal welfare, consisting of more than 34 organizations with animals under their care, facilitated information flow during the crisis, which helped to mitigate some of the shocks to different organizations and to ensure continuity of care for animals during the pandemic. We conclude that animal welfare is a shared responsibility, and accordingly, a multisectoral approach to animal welfare during a crisis is required. Our experience demonstrates that to safeguard animal welfare during crises, nations should consider the following: a national risk assessment, clear communication channels, contingency plans for animal welfare, a crisis response group, and support systems for animal care providers. Our findings and recommendations from the Australian context may inform other countries to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised during the course of unpredictable events.

Introduction

In early 2020, humanity faced an almost unprecedented situation when a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease known as COVID-19, changed life around the world ( 1). The virus continues to cause death, illness, strain on health systems, societal disruption, and economic damage. Based on experience with other pandemics, like the 1918 influenza pandemic, COVID-19 will likely disrupt human society for years to come ( 2). The World Health Organization (WHO) described SARS-CoV-2 as "a new strain [of coronavirus] that has not been previously identified in humans" ( 3). On 30 January 2020 the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" ( 4). On 28 February 2020 the WHO raised COVID-19 to the highest level of global risk ( 5). Many countries, including Australia, implemented measures that were aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on human movement, improved hygiene, and social distancing (henceforth referred to as physical distancing) to reduce human contact.

In Australia, the rapid introduction of government restrictions on human movement posed complex challenges, because Australia is a federation of states and territories ( 6). On 19 March 2020, the Australian Federal Government closed international borders to all non-citizens and non-residents ( 7) and then from 26 March 2020, state governments limited travel between all Australian states ( 8) and to remote communities ( 9). Meanwhile, on 16 March 2020, the Australian Federal Government imposed physical distancing, and state governments restricted the number of people who could gather in a group, from two to five people, depending on the state ( 10, 11). Consequently, many public places were closed, including cafes and restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks. The containment measures were effective in curtailing new infections, and in June, restrictions were gradually eased ( 12). A second wave of infections in the state of Victoria in late June prompted the Victorian Premier to place the Melbourne metropolitan area and the Mitchell Shire under tighter restrictions from 7 July 2020 ( 13). On 2 August 2020, restrictions were expanded to the remainder of the state, and Victoria entered a State of Disaster ( 14). In response, other jurisdictions tightened their restrictions on the entry of people coming from declared hot spots ( 15).

Both the health effects of COVID-19 and the measures to contain the pandemic created challenges for the economy, employment, food supply and consumption, and human social activities. Consequently, the pandemic threatened to impact the welfare of animals. Animals are integral to human society. Animals contribute to human well-being, and their welfare often depends on the capacity of humans to provide care for them. In Australia, animal welfare is regulated by legislation in each jurisdiction. The legislation promotes that organizations and individuals with animals under their care plan ahead for the welfare of the animals ( 16- 24). Most organizations with a responsibility for animals have in place emergency preparedness plans for natural disasters and animal disease outbreaks. Nevertheless, these plans were not always suitable for coping with an unpredictable event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A significant risk to animal welfare that defied planning was the extent to which human movement was restricted. The need to restrict human movement and limit social gatherings was identified at the Federal level as early as March, but the manner of implementation of "do not leave home" orders varied between jurisdictions and even local regions. Therefore, multiple organizations made requests to governments for explicit permission for movement associated with animal care (e.g., veterinary care and routine husbandry). Along these lines, the classification of veterinarians, livestock transporters, and animal welfare inspectors as essential services was also pursued by many organizations that are responsible for animal care. In response to these requests, movement restrictions were discussed in a meeting of officials from state, territory and Federal departments on 17 April, and the meeting of Ministers of Agriculture from all jurisdictions on 7 May. Subsequently, the issue of movement restrictions was resolved through clarifications by State and Territory Governments up to the start of the second wave in Victoria. Border restrictions with Victoria were tightened again, causing additional challenges for those moving animals and caring for animals across borders.

In addition to the governmental responses, other sectors of Australian society responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the remainder of this article, for each industry and organization that deals with animals and their welfare (hereafter referred to as sectors), we outline the specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and on the welfare of their animals. Where appropriate, we discuss their level of preparedness. Then we describe the spontaneous formation of a national, multisectoral response group, and how this group assisted different animal sectors in dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal welfare. We conclude with several recommendations that might be beneficial to countries and groups in safeguarding animal welfare in the course of unpredictable events.

Sector Responses to The Covid-19 Pandemic

Red Meat Production

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic there was concern that livestock transport across state and intrastate borders would be restricted and that supply chains would be disrupted, which could impact the welfare of animals in that chain. In Australia, livestock are often transported long distances across borders. In the early weeks of the containment measures, there was panic buying of red meat at supermarkets ( 25), which put pressure on the supply chain and the demand for transport. There was also concern that livestock saleyards would close because their operation requires the gathering of people. Several organizations that represent the red meat sector sought clarification from authorities, and urged authorities to classify movements that are associated with livestock production as essential services ( 26). An industry response was coordinated by several peak industry bodies. There were guidelines released around physical distancing in saleyards, and online bidding was encouraged as an alternative to physically attending sales ( 27). The Australian Federal Government also provided visa extensions for agricultural workers to ensure ongoing support for the husbandry requirements of livestock production ( 28). Furthermore, in March 2020 the Australian Federal Government introduced the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM). This was a temporary, emergency measure to help restore critical global supply chains which had been heavily impacted by COVID-19 containment measures around the world. Exports benefitting from this support included lobsters from Western Australia, Victorian lamb, and Tasmanian salmon. IFAM helped to ease pressures on animal production supply chains by maintaining the flow of high-value, time-sensitive, and perishable exports ( 29).

Concerns were raised about the live export of cattle and sheep, such as getting veterinarians and livestock handlers to the ships and home from international ports. If ship crew contracted the disease, or international borders or ports were closed, contingencies would need to be in place to ensure that the animals health and welfare could be maintained. In the event of canceled shipments, animals would need to be held for longer periods in quarantine feedlots until an alternate destination or domestic processing could be arranged ( 30).

In late May, the MV Al Kuwait livestock carrier arrived in Freemantle Port, Western Australia, with 12 crew members infected with COVID-19 ( 31). By 2 June, 21 members of the 48-person crew had tested positive to COVID-19, causing the export of 56,000 sheep to the Middle East to be postponed ( 32). The Australian Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment rejected the exporter's initial request for an exemption to the Northern Summer Order, which prohibits live export of sheep by sea to the Middle East during the months of June to mid-September. However, the voyage was later approved to embark subject to a number of conditions; this decision recognized the "exceptional circumstances resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic" ( 33).

Pork and Chicken Meat Production

A major welfare concern for intensive livestock industries, such as pork and chicken meat production, was the risk of disruption to the supply chain if personnel in the supply chain contracted the virus. Concerns included shortages of feed and other supplies, shortages of staff to maintain animal care, and reduced processing capacity, causing overcrowding and a backlog of animals at farms. The latter could lead to the need for the humane destruction of animals on farm. Pigs and broiler chickens were identified as being particularly vulnerable because of their targeted weight gain and the potential for health problems if they are not slaughtered at the scheduled age. Because these production systems operate as a continuous supply of animals, a disruption in slaughter capacity would result in over-production. Broiler chickens reach slaughter age at 30-60 days, so it takes about 2 months to reduce production levels ( 34). For pigs, the oversupply would last at least 3 months before systems would reach a new steady state at reduced supply, and if the supply was reduced, it would also take several months to return to normal production levels ( 35).

In the state of Victoria, the second wave of COVID-19 infections in June led to a 34% reduction in meat processing capacity because of measures to avoid the overlap of shifts and to ensure physical distancing ( 36). When the processing capacity in Victoria was impacted, then the Governments of Victoria and South Australia (SA) arranged for pigs and broilers to be transported across the SA border, and to be processed in SA. The pork industry was relatively well-prepared for the changes in processing capacity, because emergency preparedness plans had been established due to the threat of an incursion of African Swine Fever. Much of the pork industry had strict biosecurity measures in place and had the capacity to isolate animals. Pork processing establishments had the ability to close at short notice. Australian Pork Limited (APL) communicated with pork producers to determine that there would be an extra 2 weeks reserve space on farms to handle the backlog of pigs that would be caused when processing capacity was reduced. APL also investigated the fast tracking of research on humane methods for the mass killing of pigs. In other countries, for example the United States, the closure of meat processing facilities led to hundreds of thousands of pigs and chickens being humanely destroyed ( 37, 38), but this did not happen in Australia.

Eggs, Milk, and Wool Production

In livestock sectors where products are harvested on farm, such as in eggs, milk, and wool production, the main concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic were about possible interruptions to the feed supply chain and reduction in workforce capacity. Australian Eggs urged egg farmers to review their access to supplies and to identify any supply chains that might be jeopardized due to national or state restrictions related to the pandemic ( 39). Representatives from Australian Dairy Farmers, Australian Dairy Products Federation, and Dairy Australia worked to ensure that dairy activities were classified as an "essential service" and implemented measures to keep supply chains operating ( 40).

In the wool industry, shearers normally travel within Australia, and from New Zealand to Australia, for seasonal shearing and crutching (removal of the perianal wool). The restrictions on international and domestic movement meant that shearers could not travel. Shearing and crutching are done for production purposes but are also critical to the welfare of sheep. Specific welfare risks of not being shorn include build-up of moisture, urine, and feces in the wool, which can lead to fleece rot and flystrike, wool blindness, and skin irritation and infections ( 41). The wool industry requested visa exemptions for New Zealand shearers and produced guidelines to reduce physical contact during shearing. As of September, the request for exemptions had not been granted.

Aquaculture

The aquaculture sector was impacted by major market shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were caused by the closure of restaurants and catering services and a reduction of export capacity. At the start of the pandemic, there was some concern that these shifts in market demand could cause financial constraints for producers, who then might not be able to pay for veterinary investigations and feed, which could result in poor health and welfare outcomes ( 42). Similar to the situation with the pork and chicken supply chain, there was a risk of oversupply in the aquaculture supply chain, which could impact animal welfare. Finished aquaculture stock might not be able to be moved off farm, because aquaculture commonly uses ponds and sea cages that cater for a finite volume of stock.

As the food service and export markets contracted, the aquaculture sector quickly shifted their sales channels to meet the increase in demand by Australian consumers, who began cooking more from home during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 43). For example, Barramundi farmers urged consumers to buy Australian barramundi ( 44). By May, international air freight had expanded, partly due to the Australian Federal Government establishing an International Freight Assistance Mechanism ( 29). With the increased ability of the sector to access international markets, pressure on the supply chain eased.

Zoos and Aquariums

In the early stages of the pandemic, zoos and aquariums saw a loss of income due to forced closure to the public, which put at risk their ability to provide appropriate care to the exhibited animals. Zoos and aquariums rely on gate entry fees to finance the cost of animal care (e.g., electricity for temperature control and water quality/life support systems, costs of feeding, costs of maintaining animal enclosures, costs of veterinary care and treatment). Without such income, zoos and aquariums had to draw on reserves as well as significantly realign expenditure to sustain appropriate care. Some facilities estimated 8 weeks of resources remained before they would need to permanently close. Normally when a facility closes, animals are relocated to other facilities, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, relocation was not possible because neither the sending nor receiving institution had the financial resources for relocation costs or the care of additional animals. There was concern that pressures to sustain animal care across multiple facilities may lead to difficult decisions. In other countries, the humane destruction of exotic and native animals was being openly considered ( 45).

Members of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) in Australia participate in vital conservation programs, conduct wildlife rescue, and participate in a number of Australian Government Threatened Species Recovery programs. As conservation businesses, they play an important role in the protection and welfare of Australian native species, and a role in rehabilitation and species recovery after the summer bushfire season. Threats to the viability of zoo and aquarium businesses posed by the COVID-19 pandemic put this important work at risk.

When zoos and aquariums were closed to the public, a welfare issue was identified in the reduction of human interaction with the animals. The human-animal relationship is important to the welfare of some captive animals ( 46), and various zoos and aquariums reported signs of negative affect in their animals during the closure period. For example, Cairns Aquarium observed that larger species, particularly Maori wrasse and Queensland groupers, exhibited depression-like signs, such as refusal to eat ( 47).

The risk of human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was highlighted by sporadic reports abroad ( 48). Precautions were taken by zoo and aquarium personnel and veterinarians to minimize contact with animals at high risk, such as large cats and primates. No incidents of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals have been reported in Australia.

Given the importance of the sector to tourism, on 28 April, the Australian Federal Government released a $94.6 million package to ZAA accredited zoos and aquariums, and other wildlife businesses, to support the ongoing provision of animal care ( 49). Non-government zoos and aquariums could apply for the Federal Government JobKeeper program to assist with staffing costs ( 50). In addition to the support package from the Australian Federal Government, some jurisdictions provided financial support to smaller businesses, with grants administered by state tourism or development agencies ( 51- 53).

Prior to the announcement of the support package from the Australian Federal Government, ZAA had explored animal feed solutions with other animal industries (e.g., the meat processing sector), where collaboration would reduce the cost of care for animals at zoos and aquariums. The use of trucks and provision of whole carcasses at a reduced cost were sought to assist in maintaining animals' care. Following the release of the Australian Federal Government support package, ZAA continued to explore opportunities to reduce the costs of care, because it was recognized that zoos and aquariums might have reduced visitation in the medium term.

Wildlife Parks and Mobile Exhibitors

Like zoos and aquariums, wildlife parks depend on visitors for revenue. Some wildlife parks did not qualify for grants under the Australian Federal Government support package, but most retained their employees through the Australian Federal Government JobKeeper program. Many wildlife parks received food donations, and others started online crowd funding campaigns ( 54). As for zoos and aquariums, the animals in wildlife parks probably experienced loss of the enrichment that is normally provided by the interaction with visitors.

Wildlife mobile exhibitors (such as petting zoos and mobile farms) were significantly impacted by the closure of schools and the banning of gatherings such as birthday parties. When public schools re-opened, many exhibitors were still prohibited from entering schools. Because country shows (fairs) can provide up to 70% of the income for some operators, the cancellation of country shows had a significant impact on many wildlife mobile exhibitors. While mobile exhibitors could not access the Federal financial assistance that was provided to the zoo and aquarium sector, some jurisdictions did provide assistance ( 51, 52). For example, the Queensland Government provided a $0.5 million grant to support the licensed mobile sector. The rationale for that support was that the mobile exhibitor sector in Queensland contributes toward awareness and education of Australia's native species ( 51). When public schools re-opened, many exhibitors were still prohibited from entering. During this time, the animals in mobile shows were maintained, but many operators faced significant financial issues.

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, most wildlife rescue organizations were recovering from the impacts of the summer bushfires, which devastated large portions of habitat in eastern and south-eastern Australia ( 55). Some rescue organizations had financial reserves from bushfire donations. Their ability to collect additional donations, or accept volunteers, was limited, which increased the workload and created the need for alternative feed supplies. Wildlife Health Australia (WHA) was concerned that the COVID-19 crisis could impact animal welfare if workers could not attend to the needs of the wildlife in their care, or free-ranging wildlife under their management (e.g., threatened species programs). WHA highlighted the necessity for people in wildlife care and emergency response roles, both paid and voluntary, to be recognized as "essential workers" by governments ( 56). WHA also encouraged those who care for wildlife to develop contingency plans in the event that they became sick or had to self-isolate ( 57). There were also potential impacts on conservation and welfare when wildlife research was discontinued due to public health concerns or financial constraints related to COVID-19.

In some other countries, concern about the potential risk of transmission of COVID-19 from humans to wildlife, particularly bats, resulted in the suspension or restriction of rehabilitation and research ( 58, 59). Similar concerns were raised in Australia, alongside concerns about the negative welfare impacts if restrictions were imposed. WHA worked with government and non-government stakeholders to assess the risk within the Australian context and to provide advice on biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of transmission while rehabilitation and research continued ( 60). One positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of the decrease in international travel, may have been a reduction in the lucrative, illegal smuggling of wildlife out of, and into, Australia ( 61). Reduced traffic through national parks and other wildlife areas likely reduced roadkill and disturbance of animals, but it might have also increased opportunities for smugglers to collect animals undetected.

Horse and Greyhound Racing

Horse and greyhound racing continued throughout Australia during the pandemic, except in the state of Tasmania ( 62). Betting continued online, but revenue from on-course betting, gate takings, restaurant and bar services, and stud fees all decreased because of both the economic downturn and the restrictions on attendance at the races. With reduced revenue from racing, there was a concern that horse owners would no longer employ trainers and veterinarians. If trainers were not being paid, they could return horses to their owners, who may not have the facilities, knowledge, or capacity to care for them. The capacity to rescue unwanted horses was also reduced, as horse rescue groups experienced a decrease in donations and were unable to run fundraising events.

Although greyhounds are less expensive to maintain than horses, the greyhound industry was affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Greyhound racing continued under strict COVID-19 containment protocols that were quickly implemented in each jurisdiction, including fewer staff on track, limited participant attendance, the regionalising of race-day officials in some jurisdictions, and the implementation of strict pre-entry health checks. Some jurisdictions also moved to a regional racing format, for a period, where participants were required to race within specific regions. Border closures limited the ability of some greyhound owners and trainers to cross state borders to access greyhound tracks. Despite income loss for some greyhound owners and trainers during this time, care for the animals was maintained.

Animals Used in Research and Teaching

When the pandemic started, research and teaching institutions responded in the first instance with a change to staffing processes. They divided their animal care staff into two teams, who worked alternate shifts to provide around-the-clock care for animals, as required by Australian laws, and to reduce the risk that an entire workforce would become infected. Access to animal houses was restricted to essential people. Teaching with animals ceased, but most research continued under modified conditions. Animal Ethics Committees (AECs) carefully scrutinized changes to protocols, and the contingency plans that had to be developed for each project. There was a reduction in breeding for animal colonies, where appropriate.

An initial concern was that research animals would have to be humanely destroyed if researchers were unable to access those animals in their experiments ( 63), but Animal Welfare Officers from major research providers have reported that very few animals were culled due to the cancellation of research projects. Research projects that had already commenced were permitted to continue once contingency plans were developed and approved. Non-urgent new projects were deferred. Many researchers were given a 12-month extension by their AEC for animal work that had not commenced.

In some research institutions, animal care staff took on research activities (such as monitoring) rather than have researchers attend, and researchers were taught basic animal husbandry in case the animal care staff were unable to work. In primary and secondary schools with animals, rosters were put in place to care for animals during school closure.

Companion Animals

In the early stages of the pandemic, there was concern that tight controls on human movement and the closure of borders would discourage people from seeking veterinary assistance, leaving home to care for animals (e.g., horses in agistment), or transporting supplies and animals. In March, some organizations, including Animal Health Australia (AHA), the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Australia, contacted the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to request that veterinarians be classified as an essential service. The request was granted. The AVA also re-affirmed that veterinarians could conduct telemedicine consultations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 64).

Many animal shelters struggled financially due to the closure of charity shops and fundraising events that normally provide support for their work. At the beginning of the pandemic, RSPCA Australia led a "clear the shelter" campaign, which was highly successful in increasing pet adoptions, and non-RSPCA shelters reported an increase in pet adoptions. It was suggested that the government "stay at home" directions also might have motivated some people to adopt pets ( 65). There were some delays in pet adoptions, because the gonadectomization of animals was considered a non-essential surgery and was discouraged (although not prohibited) during lockdown ( 66). By late June, there had been some returns of animals to shelters, but the overall outcome was a net reduction of animals in shelters ( 67). Veterinarians reported a rise in pet behavioral issues ( 68), which might have been a result of the increase in adoptions.

Another consideration was how animal care could be sustained if a pet owner became sick or hospitalized. To deal with that risk, some city councils and shelters implemented networks of foster carers ( 69). There was concern that horse owners might be unwilling or unable to meet the expense of maintaining their horses if the owners lost income. A few cases of COVID-19 in dogs and cats were reported in different countries around the world ( 70), and there was concern that public fear of zoonotic transmission might cause people to abandon their pets. Several organizations provided information to the public to assert that pets were not considered at risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 in households and the community ( 71). RSPCA Australia also provided information on advising pet owners on how to care for animals under the restrictions, how to keep citizens and their animals safe, and also to address potential welfare issues such as lack of socialization of puppies, behavioral and welfare issues when owners went back to work, and animals being scared by people wearing masks. RSPCA Australia also provided emergency resources for people on how to make plans for their animals in the case that they might get sick or be unable to care for their animals, either during the pandemic or for other reasons.

Formation of a National, Multisectoral Response Group

On 24 March 2020, the Zoo and Aquarium Association approached The Animal Welfare Collaborative (TAWC), a collective of universities, organizations, companies, and individuals that was formed in 2018 with the common goal of improving the welfare of animals. ZAA sought information on how other animal sectors were responding to COVID-19-related challenges. TAWC responded by contacting the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; Animal Health Australia; and the National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Research, Development and Extension Strategy (NAWRDES). On 27 March, TAWC, NAWRDES, and AHA created a national, multisectoral response group, called the COVID-19 Animal Welfare Response Reference Group (COVAWRRG). More than 34 organizations participated in the group, including the Federal, State and Territory departments of primary industries, animal protection organizations, the livestock production and processing sectors, the aquaculture, wildlife, and animal racing sectors, the zoo and aquarium sector, the animals in research and teaching sector, and the companion animal sector. The COVAWRRG met weekly during the early stages of the pandemic, and later fortnightly, to share critical sector updates on emerging COVID-19-related challenges to animal welfare, and to coordinate responses.

Within the first 2 months of the pandemic, key outcomes of the COVAWRRG included clarification on the regulation of the cross-border transport of animals, identification of the need to travel across state and intrastate borders to care for animals, and considerations for rapid-depopulation and culling in response to COVID-19 impacts on processing capacity. The need to classify veterinarians and other key personnel as an essential service, and to support zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks in financial hardship were also key issues raised in the COVAWRRG. During the second wave of COVID-19, government statements and industry plans addressed animal welfare concerns with greater clarity than they did during the first wave, a preparedness that may have resulted in part from COVAWRRG discussions. For example, the statement by the Premier of Victoria on 3 August 2020 that indicated that Stage 4 restrictions were to be reinstated, specified that all agricultural, food production businesses, animal care, and necessary support services could continue to operate as normal. The emphasis on animal care could be attributed to the awareness of the issues that had been raised.

Recommendations for Future Crises

1. National risk assessment - There is a need for a national framework for risk assessment of animal welfare, across all sectors, to identify potential risks to animal welfare, not just animal disease risks.

2. Clear communication channels - There is a need for clear communication channels among industries and Organizations that deal with animals and their welfare, and for consistent, streamlined, and easy-to-access communication strategies for the public.

3. Contingency plans for animal welfare - Sectors that are responsible for the care of animals need crisis response plans in place, covering everything that could disrupt animal care. Risks include natural disasters, biosecurity events, supply chain shocks, Labor disruptions, movement restrictions on personnel, financial hardship, feed supply shortage, and limitations to transport and processing capacity. Contingency plans must cover financial hardship, and they need to identify resource reserves that can be used to ensure that the care of the animals is not compromised. Sectors should document the arrangements that were developed for the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporate these into contingency plans.

4. Crisis response group - In the event of a crisis that has not been forecasted, it is essential to quickly assemble relevant sectors to identify common issues, coordinate responses, exchange information and support, and develop appropriate solutions. The COVAWRRG might have been the first example of such a cross-sectoral crisis response group in animal welfare. Ongoing collaborative partnerships among sectors will no doubt facilitate the assembly of a crisis response group in the future.

5. Support systems for animal care providers - Challenges to human mental health during a crisis may compromise one's ability to provide adequate care for animals or to perceive when animal welfare is at risk. Support systems for animal care providers during times of crisis should be developed by each sector.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic created angst and fear across society in addition to the health threats that it posed and touched all Australian sectors that care for animals. The spontaneous formation of the COVAWRRG, a national, multisectoral response group on animal welfare, facilitated the flow of information and helped to mitigate shocks to different sectors and to ensure the continuity of care for animals. The COVAWRRG provided a platform for communication and collaboration for 34 diverse organizations, including the Federal, State and Territory departments of primary industries, animal protection organizations, the livestock production and processing sectors, the aquaculture, wildlife, and animal racing sectors, the zoo and aquarium sector, the animals in research and teaching sector, and the companion animal sector. The activity of the COVAWRRG demonstrated that the responsibility for animal welfare is shared by multiple enactors across society, and therefore, multisectoral collaboration is an efficient way of addressing complex challenges in animal welfare ( 72). The experience of the COVAWRRG provides insight on mechanisms to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised during unpredictable events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions generated for this study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

Author Contributions

DB, JF, SM, and AT drafted the manuscript. All authors provided information and contributed to the editing of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

JB was employed by the company JB Consulting and author BP was employed by the company Australian Wool Innovation Ltd.

The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The COVAWRRG would like to thank Kelly-Ann Allen, Wayne Collier, Julie Fiedler, Elise Spark, and Justin Toohey for their comments on the manuscript and all people who contributed to the COVAWRRG discussions.

References

71. Parry NM. COVID-19 and pets: When pandemic meets panic. Forensic Sci Int. (2020) 2:100090. doi: 10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100090

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72. Fernandes J, Blache D, Maloney SK, Martin GB, Venus B, Walker FR, et al. Addressing animal welfare through collaborative stakeholder networks. Agriculture. (2019) 9:132. doi: 10.3390/agriculture9060132

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Australia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We report on the various responses in Australia during 2020 to minimize negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of animals.