Animal Health & Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is a microcosm of FDA for animals – we regulate drugs, food, and devices for pets, livestock, zoo animals and others. Although COVID-19 is understood to primarily be a human disease, CVM and its stakeholders are experiencing the impact of the outbreak in other ways.

This page compiles information and resources available to industry members and consumers on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and animal health and safety.

For additional information, see FDA's Frequently Asked Questions about Animals, Pets and Animal Drug Products (En Español) or visit FDA's main page Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

On this page: 

Animal Drug Information | Animal Food Information | Animal Device Information
Industry Support | Information for Consumers | Information for Veterinarians
FDA Resources | USG Resources | How to Help | Contact Us

Relevant FDA News

• FDA News Release: FDA Outlines Inspection and Assessment Activities During Pandemic, Roadmap for Future State of Operations (May 5, 2021)

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Animal Drugs

• CVM Letter to Veterinarians and Retailers: Help Stop Misuse of Animal Ivermectin to Prevent or Treat COVID-19 in Humans
• CVM Update: FDA Issues Guidance on Reporting and Mitigating Animal Drug Shortages during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (May 7, 2020)
• CVM Update: FDA Issues Guidance on Conduct and Review of Studies to Support New Animal Drug Development (April 3, 2020)
• Consumer Update: Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
• CVM Letter to Stakeholders: Do Not Use Ivermectin Intended for Animals as Treatment for COVID-19 in Humans (En Español)
• FAQs: COVID-19 and Ivermectin Intended for Animals (En Español)
• CVM Letter to Stakeholders: Do Not Use Chloroquine Phosphate Intended for Fish as Treatment for COVID-19 in Humans (En Español)
• Animal Drug Shortages
• Human Drug Shortages (many of the drugs used in veterinary medicine are approved for the human market).

Animal Food

• Vaccination Resources: COVID-19 Vaccination & the Food and Agriculture Sector
• Industry FAQs: Animal Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• CVM Fact Sheet: Safely Distributing Unused Human Food for Animal Food Use
• FDA Briefing: COVID-19 Briefing for Animal Food Stakeholders (March 31, 2020)
• Consumer Update: Food Safety and Availability During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Constituent Update: FDA To Temporarily Conduct Remote Importer Inspections Under FSVP Due to COVID-19 (April 3, 2020)
• Fact Sheet: What to Do if You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers in Your Food Production, Storage, or Distribution Operations Regulated by FDA
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Fact Sheet: Use of Respirators, Facemasks, and Cloth Face Coverings in the Food and Agriculture Sector During Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic 
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Food and Agriculture: Considerations for Prioritization of PPE, Cloth Face Coverings, Disinfectants, and Sanitation Supplies During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Animal Devices

• Medical Gloves for COVID-19 (updated 10/29/21)
  • Import Alert 80-04 Surveillance and Detention Without Physical Examination of Surgeon's and Patient Examination Gloves (published 10/26/21)
• Consumer Update: Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatments 
• FDA Letter to Health Care Providers: Ventilator Supply Mitigation Strategies
• FDA Letter to Health Care Providers: Medical Glove Conservation Strategies
• FAQs: 3D Printing of Medical Devices, Accessories, Components, and Parts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Webinar: Enforcement Policy for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) During COVID-19: Immediately in Effect Guidance (April 6, 2020)

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Information by Audience

Industry Support

• Guidance Documents
• Vaccination Resources: COVID-19 Vaccination & the Food and Agriculture Sector
• Industry FAQs: Animal Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• CVM Fact Sheet: Safely Distributing Unused Human Food for Animal Food Use
• FDA Briefing: COVID-19 Briefing for Animal Food Stakeholders (March 31, 2020)
• CVM Update: FDA Issues Guidance on Reporting and Mitigating Animal Drug Shortages during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (May 7, 2020)
• CVM Update: FDA Issues Guidance on Conduct and Review of Studies to Support New Animal Drug Development (April 3, 2020)
• Constituent Update: FDA To Temporarily Conduct Remote Importer Inspections Under FSVP Due to COVID-19 ( April 3, 2020)
• FAQS: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Importing COVID-19 Supplies
• Fact Sheet: What to Do if You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers in Your Food Production, Storage, or Distribution Operations Regulated by FDA
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Fact Sheet: Use of Respirators, Facemasks, and Cloth Face Coverings in the Food and Agriculture Sector During Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic 
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Food and Agriculture: Considerations for Prioritization of PPE, Cloth Face Coverings, Disinfectants, and Sanitation Supplies During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
  • (Downloadable PDF)
• Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

For Consumers

• Consumer Update: Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
• Consumer Update: Safely Using Hand Sanitizer
• Consumer Update: Food Safety and Availability During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• FDA Statement: FDA takes further steps to help mitigate supply interruptions of food and medical products (March 28, 2020)
• Consumer Update: Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatments
• Consumer Update: Helpful Questions and Answers about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Your Pets

For Veterinarians

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Resources for Health Professionals
• Press Release: FDA Helps Facilitate Veterinary Telemedicine During Pandemic (March 24, 2020)
• FDA Letter to Health Care Providers: Ventilator Supply Mitigation Strategies
• FDA Letter to Health Care Providers: Medical Glove Conservation Strategies
• FAQs: 3D Printing of Medical Devices, Accessories, Components, and Parts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Webinar: Enforcement Policy for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) During COVID-19: Immediately in Effect Guidance
• FAQs: Shortages of Surgical Masks and Gowns
• FAQs: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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Resources

FDA Resources

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• FAQs: Animals, Pets, and Animal Drug Products
• Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• FAQs: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (inglés)
• Preguntas frecuentes sobre la Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) (Spanish)
• Fraudulent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Products - The FDA is actively monitoring for any firms marketing products with fraudulent COVID-19 prevention and treatment claims. The FDA is exercising its authority to protect consumers from firms selling unapproved products and making false or misleading claims, including, by pursuing warning letters, seizures, or injunctions against products and firms or individuals that violate the law.
• FDA COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PREPP) Initiative
• Resiliency Roadmap for FDA Inspectional Oversight

USG Resources

• Coronavirus.gov
  Frequently asked questions about COVID-19, check for symptoms, find a testing site.
• USA.gov/coronavirus
  The federal government response to COVID-19.
• CDC.gov/coronavirus
  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• USDA.gov/coronavirus
  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
• OSHA.gov/coronavirus
  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• FEMA.gov/disasters/coronavirus
  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

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How to Help

• If you have medical supplies or equipment to donate, please provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) details on what you are offering through the FEMA online medical supplies and equipment form.
• To sell medical supplies or equipment to the federal government, please submit a price quote under the COVID-19 PPE and Medical Supplies Request for Quotation. 
• If you are interested in doing business with FEMA with your company’s non-medical goods and/or services, submit your inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Procurement Action Innovative Response Team (PAIR) team at DHSIndustryLiaison@hq.dhs.gov.
• The federal government is purchasing medical supplies or equipment under through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
• If you would like to meet with a federal agency regarding a vaccine, diagnostic, therapeutic or other medical device that you are developing for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, please go to medicalcountermeasures.gov.
• If you are a hospital or healthcare provider in need of medical supplies, please contact your state, local, tribal or territory department of public health and/or emergency management agency.
• For additional information on how to help, visit FEMA’s How to Help webpage.

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Contact Us

Note: Contacting FDA about the same issue through multiple communications channels will not lead to a faster reply; in fact, it may delay FDA response by increasing the number of inquiries that need to be processed. 

• Report Fraud or call 1-800-332-1088
• Report Shortages or Supply Issues
• Adverse Events
• Importing COVID-19 Supplies
• Non-urgent inquiries  - Contact AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov
• Media inquiries - Contact the Office of Media Affairs

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