Leading medical insurance for pets provider confirms no increased signs of pet illness despite first dog testing positive for COVID-19 in the U.S.
SEATTLE, April 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the recent reports of a dog testing positive for COVID-19 in North Carolina, data from Trupanion, the leading provider of medical insurance for pets, confirms they have nothing unusual to report related to pet health.
With over 500,000 pets under its medical insurance coverage, Trupanion receives thousands of data points daily. Since the start of COVID-19 testing in pets began, Trupanion has yet to see any tests come through their veterinary invoice data.
In addition, if pets were being affected by this virus, the database would reflect an upward trend in respiratory and gastrointestinal claims since the pandemic was first reported. According to Trupanion’s database of millions of claims for sick pets over 20 years, the frequency of claims with those conditions over the last several months has not increased and has followed the same historic trend pre-COVID, indicating that there is no evidence that this a pet health problem.
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The insurer’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Steve Weinrauch has been a key voice in the industry, joining forces with leading animal health constituents to provide the latest information to ease the concerns of North American pet owners. During a recent webinar, Dr Weinrauch explained that in those rare cases where a pet does test positive for COVID, it is likely due to a close human contact having COVID-19. If a pet owner has tested positive for COVID-19 it is recommended that both the pet owner and the pet should quarantine themselves together and avoid contact with others.
“At Trupanion we know how much a pet means to a family and just like any family member, people are concerned about protecting the health of their loved ones,” said Dr. Steve Weinrauch, chief veterinary officer at Trupanion. “While reports of pets testing positive for COVID-19 can be distressing for pet parents, we want to reiterate that COVID-19 is currently considered a primarily human to human disease. Infections have been reported in very few animals worldwide, mostly in those that had close contact with a person with COVID-19 as is the case in North Carolina.”
The company is committed to continuing with plans to alert the CDC if any regional trends are noted.
“It’s important to continue the guidelines issued by the CDC and listen to advice given by key medical thought leaders – keep your hands washed and social distance, among other things,” added Dr. Weinrauch. “We are proud to provide pandemic coverage for Trupanion pets and remain available 24/7/365 to members and pet owners who have questions about protecting and caring for their pets.”
Interviews available
Trupanion's Chief Veterinary Officer and COVID Council member, Dr. Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS is available to share COVID-related insights or to provide context regarding pet health data as it relates to the extensive Trupanion database of over half a million pets. Please contact mediarelations@trupanion.com for scheduling.
About Trupanion
Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States and Canada. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet owners with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Omega General Insurance Company. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.
About COVID Council
The COVID Council includes leadership from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), Shelter Medicine, Trupanion, MightyVet, and Not One More Vet. The COVID Council has been formed with the goal of advancing the good of global pet health. All parties involved are strong advocates in their field and are dedicating their resources at no cost and with no corporate funding or oversight.
Contact:
Media
Michael Nank
michael.nank@trupanion.com
206.436.9825
Investors
Laura Bainbridge, Head of Corporate Communications
InvestorRelations@trupanion.com
206.607.1929
