Assessing COVID-19 Pandemic Risk Perception and Response Preparedness in Veterinary and Animal Care Workers

Companion animal adoption and relinquishment during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experiences of animal rescue staff and volunteers

There has been a paucity of research into the experiences of animal rescue staff and volunteers during COVID-19. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on companion animal rescue organisations and their staff and volunteers, and to develop a set of recommendations on how to reduce the risk to companion animal welfare during a crisis. Descriptive thematic analysis was used to explore the experiences of staff and volunteers from 28 animal rescue organisations, most of which were based in the UK. Other surveyed countries included Germany, the Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, the USA and Australia. We identify three key themes that reflect the challenges faced by pet rescue organisations during the pandemic: (1) impact on animals; (2) impact on identity; and (3) impact on organisational processes. Key recommendations include the promotion of co-operation and modifications within the sector, the need to understand, and change, detrimental pet-owner behaviours, and the need to clarify the identity of animal rescue organisations within the Government. Both positive and negative outcomes were experienced by animal rescue organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings should be considered for future crises and indeed the everyday operating procedures of companion animal rescue organisations.

Assessing US Small Animal Veterinary Clinic Adaptations and Their Impacts on Workforce COVID-19 Preparedness and Response

Veterinary personnel are an essential yet often underappreciated workforce, critical for zoonotic disease prevention and response efforts that impact human health. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinary workforce supported emergency responses by promoting zoonotic disease risk communication, sharing animal health expertise, and boosting laboratory surge capacity against SARS-CoV-2 in animals and people. However, small animal veterinary workers (SAVWs), similar to healthcare workers, faced organizational challenges in providing clinical care to family pets, including those susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed a cross-sectional survey of 1,204 SAVWs in the United States to assess veterinary clinic adaptations and their associations with SAVWs' self-perceived readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a workforce. SAVWs who worked fewer hours than before the pandemic (ready, OR 0.59; willing, OR 0.66; able, OR 0.52) or used personal protective equipment less frequently for protection in the clinic (ready, OR 0.69; willing, OR 0.69; able, OR 0.64) felt less ready, willing, and able to respond to COVID-19. SAVWs working remotely felt less ready (OR 0.46) but not less willing or able to respond to COVID-19. Lastly, SAVWs with dependents felt less ready (OR 0.67) and able (OR 0.49) to respond to COVID-19 than SAVWs without dependents. Our findings highlight the importance of proactively managing work schedules, having access to personal protective equipment, and addressing caregiving concerns to enhance SAVW preparedness and response outcomes. SAVWs are knowledgeable, motivated personnel who should be integrated into local public health emergency preparedness and response plans, supporting a One Health framework that unites multidisciplinary teams to respond to future zoonotic disease threats.

Professional characteristics, attitudes, and practices associated with stress and quality of life among Canadian animal health workers

Objective

To describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 of Canadian companion animal health workers (AHW); to measure their perceived stress and quality of life (QoL); and to explore professional risk factors associated with stress and QoL.

Sample

We sampled 436 companion animal veterinarians and technicians.

Procedure

The study had cross-sectional and cohort components. It was conducted online in August to December 2020, and repeated in May to July 2021, using a questionnaire assessing the respondents' professional characteristics, COVID-19 KAP, perceived stress, and QoL.

Results

Overall, AHW had sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 transmission, and reported having adopted good preventive practices. Since the beginning of the pandemic, participants reported increases in new clients (76%), in refusal of new clients (53%), and in pet euthanasia (24%). Increased client refusal and pet euthanasia were associated with greater stress and poorer professional QoL, whereas perceived susceptibility to and adoption of measures against COVID-19 were associated with lower stress and better QoL.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

For AHW, professional characteristics were associated with stress and professional QoL. This information is important for developing strategies to cope with the ongoing shortage of AHW and with future public health crises.

Near-complete genome of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern identified in a symptomatic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in Botswana

We sought to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 was present, and to perform full-length genomic sequencing, in a 5-year-old male crossbreed dog from Gaborone, Botswana that presented overt clinical signs (flu-like symptoms, dry hacking cough and mild dyspnoea). It was only sampled a posteriori, because three adult owners were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Next-generation sequencing based on Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) was performed on amplicons that were generated using a reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal and buccal swabs, as well as a bronchoalveolar lavage with mean real cycle threshold (qCt) value of 36 based on the Nucleocapsid (N) gene. Descriptive comparisons to known sequences in Botswana and internationally were made using mutation profiling analysis and phylogenetic inferences. Human samples were not available. A near-full length SARS-CoV-2 genome (∼90% coverage) was successfully genotyped and classified under clade 20 O and Pango-Lineage AY.43 (Pango v.4.0.6 PLEARN-v1.3; 2022-04-21), which is a sublineage of the Delta variant of concern (VOC) (formerly called B.1.617.2, first detected in India). We did not identify novel mutations that may be used to distinguish SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the dog and humans. In addition to Spike (S) region mutation profiling, we performed phylogenetic analysis including 30 Delta sequences publicly available reference also isolated from dogs. In addition, we performed another exploratory analysis to investigate the phylogenetic relatedness of sequence isolated from dog with those from humans in Botswana (n = 1303) as of 31 March 2022 and of same sublineage. Expectedly, the sequence formed a cluster with Delta sublineages - AY.43, AY.116 and B.1.617.2 - circulating in same time frame. This is the first documented report of human-associated SARS-CoV-2 infection in a dog in Botswana. Although the direction of transmission remains unknown, this study further affirms the need for monitoring pets during different COVID-19 waves for possible clinically relevant SARS-CoV-2 transmissions between species.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response Preparedness and Risk Perceptions Among Peruvian Veterinarians and Animal Care Workers

Peruvian veterinarians and animal care workers (VACW) are primary responders in the event of disasters or emergencies, yet they face unique concerns that could impede or block their essential functions in public health preparedness in comparison with VACWs in other countries. In this study, we used the Ready, Willing, and Able model via electronic survey to evaluate the perception of risks and barriers that Peruvian VACWs faced when deciding whether to continue working during the COVID-19 pandemic between July and December 2020. We used logistic regression models to evaluate associations between demographic characteristics, perceived role, and contact scores with 8 outcomes: knowledge of COVID-19; confidence in safety protocols; perceived threat; perceived job efficacy; perceived barriers; and readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than 50% of respondents reported barriers to report to work during the pandemic. Respondents who reported higher contact with coworkers had an increased confidence in safety protocols (OR 5.16; 95% CI, 1.36 to 19.61) and willingness (OR 3.76; 95% CI, 1.14 to 12.47) to respond to the pandemic. Close contacts with essential workers and higher economic income were associated with higher reported knowledge of COVID-19. Respondents with higher perceived job efficacy had higher odds of reporting being ready, willing, and able to respond to COVID-19, while those who identified more barriers to report to work had lower odds of being ready, willing, and able to respond. The findings from this study, which showed differences from VACWs in the United States, can be used by individuals designing programs to improve pandemic and disaster preparedness in this essential, yet understudied and vulnerable, workforce.

COVID-19 associated reduction in elective spay-neuter surgeries for dogs and cats

The rise in subsidized spay-neuter access helped drive the euthanasia of shelter pets in the US from an estimated 13. 5 million in 1973 to 1.5 million in 2019. When the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered lockdowns beginning in March 2020, many veterinary providers suspended nonessential services such as routine spay-neuter surgeries. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume of spay-neuter procedures performed by spay-neuter clinics. A retrospective study of patient data from 212 spay-neuter clinics using Clinic HQ practice management software was conducted from January 2019 through December 2021. The clinics collectively performed 1,217,240 surgeries in the pre-COVID baseline year of 2019. A sharp decline in surgeries began in March 2020 (−22%) and reached a nadir in April 2020 (−80%). Surgeries began to increase in May 2020 (−39%), before plateauing in July 2020 (−6%) and remaining slightly below the 2019 baseline in most months through the end of 2021. Compared to 2019, total surgeries decreased 13% to 1,059,388 in 2020 and decreased 3% to 1,184,274 in 2021. In 2020, when clinic disruptions were highest, the impact of the surgery cutbacks varied by geographic region, species, age, and source of animals. Compared with 2019, in 2020 surgeries decreased 17% in the Midwest region, 15% in the Northeast and West, and 11% in the South. Surgeries were reduced 19% in dogs and 10% in cats. When grouped by age, surgeries were reduced by 18% in geriatrics, 14% in adults, and 11% in juveniles. Reductions were similar for females (−14%) and males (−12%) and similar for unowned/organization-owned animals (−14%) and privately owned animals (−12%). In total, 190,818 fewer surgeries were performed by the 212 studied clinics in the 24 months from January 2020 through December 2021 than would be expected had 2019 levels been maintained. If a similar pattern was experienced by other spay/neuter providers in the US, it would suggest there is a deficit of more than 2.7 million spay/neuter surgeries that animal welfare organizations have yet to address.