David R. Marquez, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
David Marquez is also a Veterinary Preventive Medicine Officer, US Army Veterinary Corps, Medical Center of Excellence, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX.
Health Secur. 2023 Nov-Dec;21(6):450-458. doi: 10.1089/hs.2023.0041. Epub 2023 Nov 15.
Veterinary personnel are an essential yet often underappreciated workforce, critical for zoonotic disease prevention and response efforts that impact human health. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinary workforce supported emergency responses by promoting zoonotic disease risk communication, sharing animal health expertise, and boosting laboratory surge capacity against SARS-CoV-2 in animals and people. However, small animal veterinary workers (SAVWs), similar to healthcare workers, faced organizational challenges in providing clinical care to family pets, including those susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed a cross-sectional survey of 1,204 SAVWs in the United States to assess veterinary clinic adaptations and their associations with SAVWs' self-perceived readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a workforce. SAVWs who worked fewer hours than before the pandemic (ready, OR 0.59; willing, OR 0.66; able, OR 0.52) or used personal protective equipment less frequently for protection in the clinic (ready, OR 0.69; willing, OR 0.69; able, OR 0.64) felt less ready, willing, and able to respond to COVID-19. SAVWs working remotely felt less ready (OR 0.46) but not less willing or able to respond to COVID-19. Lastly, SAVWs with dependents felt less ready (OR 0.67) and able (OR 0.49) to respond to COVID-19 than SAVWs without dependents. Our findings highlight the importance of proactively managing work schedules, having access to personal protective equipment, and addressing caregiving concerns to enhance SAVW preparedness and response outcomes. SAVWs are knowledgeable, motivated personnel who should be integrated into local public health emergency preparedness and response plans, supporting a One Health framework that unites multidisciplinary teams to respond to future zoonotic disease threats.
兽医人员是一支不可或缺但往往未被充分重视的劳动力队伍，对于预防和应对影响人类健康的人畜共患疾病的努力至关重要。在 COVID-19 大流行早期，兽医人员通过促进人畜共患疾病风险沟通、分享动物健康专业知识以及提高针对动物和人类的 SARS-CoV-2 的实验室应急能力，支持了紧急应对措施。然而，与医护人员类似，小动物兽医工作者 (SAVW) 在为家庭宠物提供临床护理方面面临组织挑战，包括那些易感染 SARS-CoV-2 的宠物。我们分析了一项针对美国 1204 名 SAVW 的横断面调查，以评估兽医诊所的适应性及其与 SAVW 对 COVID-19 大流行作为劳动力的自我感知准备程度、意愿和能力的关联。与大流行前相比，工作时间较少的 SAVW（准备程度，OR0.59；意愿，OR0.66；能力，OR0.52）或在诊所内较少使用个人防护设备进行防护的 SAVW（准备程度，OR0.69；意愿，OR0.69；能力，OR0.64）感到准备程度、意愿和能力降低。远程工作的 SAVW 感到准备程度较低（OR0.46），但对 COVID-19 的意愿或能力没有降低。最后，有家属的 SAVW 感到准备程度（OR0.67）和应对 COVID-19 的能力（OR0.49）较低，而没有家属的 SAVW 则没有。我们的研究结果强调了积极管理工作时间表、获得个人防护设备以及解决护理问题的重要性，以增强 SAVW 的准备程度和应对结果。SAVW 是知识渊博、积极主动的人员，应该被纳入当地公共卫生应急准备和应对计划中，支持一个将多学科团队联合起来应对未来人畜共患疾病威胁的“同一健康”框架。
