Are our pets at risk for COVID-19?

Recent reports of animals testing positive for the novel coronavirus—including a cat in Belgium, a dog in Hong Kong and, famously, a tiger in the Bronx Zoo—have pet owners worrying about their furry companions. Many also wonder whether pets can pass COVID-19 on to people.

Experts at the UW Department of Global Health are actively engaged in COVID-19 research, learning, and service activities to help mitigate the global pandemic. 

From testing patients and implementing measures to prevent outbreaks, to vaccine research, and prevention and treatment studies, our team is working to slow COVID-19. 

With its Population Health Initiative, the University of Washington annually distributes research grant funding for one-of-a-kind projects that address unique health challenges here in Washington and around the world. This year, three of the awarded research teams include faculty members from the Department of Global Health: Peter Rabinowitz, Charles Mock, James Pfeiffer, Rachel Chapman, and Steve Gloyd.

While the U.S. and Europe battle to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, I can’t help but think about how Africa will cope when it becomes the next epicenter. Based on the three-month-old data that we have about the virus and its spread, guidelines on prevention, containment and mitigation have been set by the World Health Organization (WHO). So far, several African governments have adopted the U.S. and European approach that is centered on lockdowns, social distancing and frequent hand washing with soap and water.