Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35356102›Full record

ArticleOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands)2022

Does having a cat in your house increase your risk of catching COVID-19?

Valerie Allendorf, Nicolai Denzin, Franz J Conraths, Lisa A Boden, François Elvinger, Ioannis Magouras, Arjan Stegeman, James L N Wood, Ana Carvajal Urueña, Katherine E F Grace and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 2025 FelineVMA feline oral health and dental care guidelines.Journal of feline medicine and surgery · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 8 institutions in 7 countries.

Valerie AllendorfFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
Nicolai DenzinFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
Franz J ConrathsFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
Lisa A BodenGlobal Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
François ElvingerCornell University, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Science, Ithaca, USA.
Ioannis MagourasCity University of Hong Kong, Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Arjan StegemanUniversiteit Utrecht, Department of Population Health Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
James L N WoodDisease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge, UK.
Ana Carvajal UrueñaUniversidad de León, Department of Animal Health, León, Spain.
Katherine E F GraceEpidemiology and Risk Policy Advice, APHA, Westminster, UK.
Katharina D C StärkFederal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV), Department of Animal Health, Bern, Switzerland.
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut · DECity University of Hong Kong · HKCornell University · USFederal Food Safety and Veterinary Office · CHUniversidad de León · ESUniversity of Cambridge · GBUniversity of Edinburgh · GBUtrecht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Due to the zoonotic origin of SARS-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the potential for its transmission from humans back to animals and the possibility that it might establish ongoing infection pathways in other animal species has been discussed. Cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and were shown experimentally to transmit the virus to other cats. Infection of cats has been widely reported. Domestic cats in COVID-19-positive households could therefore be a part of a human to animal to human transmission pathway. Here, we report the results of a qualitative risk assessment focusing on the potential of cat to human transmission in such settings. The assessment was based on evidence available by October 2021. After the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 to a household by a human, cats may become infected and infected cats may pose an additional infection risk for other members of the household. In order to assess this additional risk qualitatively, expert opinion was elicited within the framework of a modified Delphi procedure. The conclusion was that the additional risk of infection of an additional person in a household associated with keeping a domestic cat is very low to negligible, depending on the intensity of cat-to-human interactions. The separation of cats from humans suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection should contribute to preventing further transmission.

Indexed as

CatDelphiOne healthRisk assessmentSARS-CoV-2Zoonosis

Identifiers

PMID35356102
PMCPMC8950096
OpenAlexW4220934046

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.