Veterinary Labs Secretly Save Lives During COVID-19 Pandemic: Shocking New Study Reveals

Veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the United States had a substantial positive impact on human health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a groundbreaking study by researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Published on June 25 in PLOS One, the study showcases the benefits of mobilizing veterinary facilities for large-scale testing and timely, informed public health interventions.

“Many veterinary diagnostic laboratories continuously evaluate domestic and wild animal populations for evidence of disease, including diseases that affect humans. They were key in supporting the robust testing capacity necessary for public health agencies to respond to the pandemic,” said Dr. Lorin D. Warnick, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and senior author of the paper. “We experienced this firsthand through the Cornell COVID-19 Testing Laboratory, established by our Animal Health Diagnostic Center in collaboration with Cayuga Health Systems, a human health care provider based in Ithaca, New York. This paper describes the work and impact of our laboratory and many others across the country.”

As the need for SARS-CoV-2 testing surged, veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the nation rose to the occasion. Despite facing significant administrative hurdles when applying for the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification required to conduct human diagnostic testing, these laboratories played a crucial role in the pandemic response.

“It is important to reduce hurdles before the next major public health emergency. Doing so will enhance access to testing resources overall and ultimately improve population health,” said Nia Clements, the paper’s first author and a public health graduate student.

The study analyzed survey results, interviews, and public information, revealing that over 8.25 million human samples were tested by the participating veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Some university testing programs that offered services to nearby institutions and satellite campuses performed a significant portion of their state’s total tests. Remarkably, one laboratory conducted 25% of its state’s total tests, processing four times as many SARS-CoV-2 samples as the state’s public health laboratories and more than any other laboratory in the state.

The contributions of veterinary diagnostic laboratories to the COVID-19 response exemplify the One Health approach, which posits that the well-being of wildlife, domestic animals, people, and the environment are inextricably linked. For Cornell, collaboration with a local human health care provider enabled them to meet regulatory requirements efficiently while leveraging veterinary diagnostic expertise to establish a high-quality, high-throughput laboratory. A hallmark of the program was the rapid turnaround of test results, which expedited contact tracing and enabled swift responses from healthcare providers. In contrast, labs that operated more independently often faced challenges in obtaining regulatory approval.

“Ensuring we have swift, efficient mechanisms to respond to the next pandemic doesn’t necessarily mean creating those processes from scratch,” Warnick said. “A One Health perspective helps identify intersections between areas of expertise. It can help save lives, as the work of veterinary laboratory contributions to the COVID-19 response shows.”

Additional authors of the study include Dr. Diego Diel, who led the Cornell COVID-19 Testing Laboratory and directs the Virology Laboratory at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC); Dr. François Elvinger, executive director of the AHDC; Dr. Gary Koretzky, vice provost for academic integration, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, and one of the leaders of Cornell’s COVID-19 response; and Julie Siler, a technician in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at CVM.

The findings underscore the importance of integrated public health strategies that include veterinary expertise, advocating for a more unified approach to future health emergencies. The study not only highlights the critical role veterinary laboratories played during the COVID-19 pandemic but also sets the stage for more collaborative and effective responses to future public health crises. Full version of this story appears on the CVM website.