Last week the CDC issued new guidance for veterinary clinics operating during the COVID-19 pandemic and response. Here are some highlights particularly relevant to shelters and spay-neuter clinics:
- The CDC reiterates that while dogs and cats may very rarely test positive for the virus, spread from animals to humans has not been documented and the main risk remains from humans to other humans.
- Clinic staff should stay home and self-isolate if they are ill. Staff can return to work 72 hours after they no longer have a fever (without fever-reducing medications) and at least 10 days after they first started showing symptoms.
- While shelter-in-place orders are active, the CDC states that veterinary clinics should be postponing elective and non-urgent procedures. At the time of this publication, the CDC still considers routine spays and neuters elective procedures. This may differ from the orders of individual states and will change as phased re-opening begins.
- Stricter PPE recommendations for clinic staff are described based on the exposure history of the animal and the animal’s symptoms:
- Facemask, eye protection (e.g. face shield or goggles), gloves, and gown if animals are ill with respiratory symptoms or they are undergoing a procedure that generates aerosols. CDC examples are suction or bronchoscopy; in a shelter this could include intubation, dentistry, BAL, nasal flush, etc.
- For any animal exposed to COVID-19 undergoing aerosol generating procedures, the PPE list includes the above and an N-95 mask is recommended instead of a regular face mask.
- Routine testing for animals is still not recommended; state public health veterinarians or state animal health officials should be contacted if you suspect an animal is ill due to COVID-19.
- Multiple scenarios for how to care for COVID positive animals are discussed; wearing PPE, keeping the animal indoors, and separating them from humans and other animals is recommended.
- Positive animals can be reintegrated when 72 hours have passed since their last clinical sign and 14 days have passed since their illness started.
- Repeat testing is also at the discretion of the state public health and animal health officials.
- Where state laws allow, tele-medicine is useful for supporting pets in foster or recently adopted. For urgent and emergency cases, curbside no-contact or low-contact hand-offs are recommended.
- Before inviting clients, foster parents, or those surrendering animals into the facility, ask them about COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. If clients are ill, postpone their appointment or offer tele-medicine. If the situation is an emergency, employ proper PPE and no-contact or low-contact hand-off procedures.
