Animal models of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China as a zoonotic virus in December 2019. The virus proved to be human-to-human transmissible and its global spread resulted in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Vaccines were developed at an unprecedented speed and proved to be efficacious in preventing disease, but it remains to be determined if vaccines are able to interrupt transmission. Moreover, virus variants of concern continue to emerge that appear more transmissible and/or less sensitive to virus-specific immune responses. Here, we briefly review the role of animal models in assessing prophylactic and therapeutic options to interrupt SARS-CoV-2 transmission.