The Next Pandemic Might be a Petdemic

A new scientific study shows that COVID-19 can be transmitted from cats to humans. Luckily, this channel of transmission seems extremely rare, at least thus far. But next time & mdash;and there will be a next time & mdash;we may not be so fortunate. This Article addresses this underappreciated risk of what I term a "petdemic"& mdash;a pandemic or epidemic that involves significant disease transmission between pets and humans. With nearly 70% of U.S. households owning pets, a petdemic could be catastrophic. One of our go-to responses for even perceived petdemics, honed over the last century, is to slaughter our pets. This pioneering Article proposes a way to break that cycle. Would existing legal restrictions curb the excess reactions of individuals and governments? Unfortunately, they would not. In the immediate aftermath of COVID-19, we have a chance to prepare for this problem. We must seize this opportunity to craft proactive legal and other policy solutions that emphasize creating options for pet owners to retain their animals, as well as removing knowledge gaps likely to characterize a novel infectious disease and potential bottlenecks exacerbated by legal restrictions or infrastructure shortfalls. The survival of our animals and our very humanity may depend on these endeavors.

Association of Economic Recession and Social Distancing With Pediatric Non-accidental Trauma During COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: There has been concern that the incidence of non-accidental trauma (NAT) cases in children would rise during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the combination of social isolation and economic depression. Our goal was to evaluate NAT incidence and severity during the pandemic across multiple US cities. METHODS: Multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study comparing NAT rates in children <18 y old during the COVID-19 pandemic (March-August 2020) with a recent historical data (January 2015-February 2020) and during a previous economic recession (January 2007-December 2011) at level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers. Comparisons were made in local and national macroeconomic indicators. RESULTS: Overall rates of NAT during March-August 2020 did not increase compared to historical data (P = 0.8). Severity of injuries did not increase during the pandemic as measured by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (P = 0.97) or mortality (P = 0.7), but Injury Severity Score (ISS) slightly decreased (P = 0.018). Racial differences between time periods were seen, with increased proportions of NAT occurring in African-Americans during the pandemic (P < 0.001). NAT rates over time had low correlation (r = 0.32) with historical averages, suggesting a difference from previous years. Older children (≥3 y) had increased NAT rates during the pandemic. Overall NAT rates had low inverse correlation with unemployment (r = -0.37) and moderate inverse correlation with the stock market (r = -0.6). Significant variation between sites was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Overall NAT rates in children did not increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rates were highly variable by site and increases were seen in African-Americans and older children. Further studies are warranted to explore local influences on NAT rates.

The relationship between emergency medical services use and social service needs in a pediatric emergency department population.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use for children is correlated with areas of resource deprivation as well as child maltreatment. Households using EMS may have more social needs and be willing to accept services. OBJECTIVE: To compare social service needs and willingness to accept services in families arriving to a pediatric emergency department (ED) via EMS vs non-EMS, before and during COVID-19. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Caregivers of children 0-5 years old in a quaternary pediatric ED, with a 1:1 ratio of EMS vs non-EMS arrivals. METHODS: Participants completed a survey of demographics, social service needs, and willingness to accept services, before and during COVID-19. RESULTS: Of 220 participants, 84 were enrolled before COVID-19. The EMS group reported less full-time employment (34.6% vs 51.8%, p < 0.05) and more social service needs (2.47 vs 1.76 needs, p < 0.05). Mean score for willingness to accept a service provider in the home was 3.62 for EMS and 3.19 for non-EMS (p = 0.09). Mean score for accepting a phone referral was 3.84 for EMS and 3.40 for non-EMS (p = 0.07). COVID-19 impacted needs for both groups (20.9% EMS vs 30.3% non-EMS). For all subjects presenting to the ED, COVID-19 was associated with decreased food insecurity (28.6% vs 15.4%) and children with a chronic medical condition (31.0% vs 12.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The EMS group had more social service needs. There was no difference in social services acceptance. COVID-19 affected both groups' needs. Future interventions may use EMS systems to mitigate social service needs which may be risk factors for child abuse.