Scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona are recruiting dog and cats for their latest study on COVID-19. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports.
The goal is to learn more about how COVID transmits between people and animals. The scientists are recruiting dog and cat owners who have tested positive for COVID within the past two weeks. Scientists at TGen will partner with a veterinarian to test the pets for the disease.
Tests are free and pet owners will be notified of the results within a month.
Confirmed COVID cases in pets are rare. Only two dogs and two cats have tested positive in Arizona, and about one hundred and twenty pets nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called for more research to understand how animals are affected and if they spread the infection to people. The CDC recommends people who are ill with COVID should isolate from their pets as much as possible.
The study is funded by a grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
More information: https://www.tgen.org/news/2021/march/10/adhs-tgen-test-pets-for-covid/
