Two Washington universities are working together to study the effect that pet owners who have tested positive for coronavirus may have on their pets.
The University of Washington Center for One Health Research has partnered with the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University to launch the pilot study.
The COVID-19 and Pets Study (CAPS) will sample the pets of positive COVID-19 patients to learn about the role the animals play in the coronavirus outbreak.
The animals include (but are not limited to): dogs, cats, ferrets, and hamsters. Reptiles and birds will not be included.
To be eligible for the study, people must provide proof of a positive test result for COVID-19 within the last two weeks from you or another member of the household who is currently at home. You must have one or more indoor animals in your household that are up-to-date on rabies vaccination. You must also be a resident of King County, fluent in English, and at least 18 years of age.
You'll also be asked to take a one-time survey online and a veterinarian will visit your household to sample all animals in the household. The samples consist of nasal and oral swabs and a blood draw.
To participate in the study, you can learn more here.
