Animal models for COVID-19

Nature. 2020 Oct;586(7830):509-515. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2787-6. Epub 2020 Sep 23.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the aetiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an emerging respiratory infection caused by the introduction of a novel coronavirus into humans late in 2019 (first detected in Hubei province, China). As of 18 September 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has spread to 215 countries, has infected more than 30 million people and has caused more than 950,000 deaths. As humans do not have pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2, there is an urgent need to develop therapeutic agents and vaccines to mitigate the current pandemic and to prevent the re-emergence of COVID-19. In February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) assembled an international panel to develop animal models for COVID-19 to accelerate the testing of vaccines and therapeutic agents. Here we summarize the findings to date and provides relevant information for preclinical testing of vaccine candidates and therapeutic agents for COVID-19.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Betacoronavirus / drug effects
  • Betacoronavirus / immunology
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Coronavirus Infections / immunology
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Ferrets / virology
  • Humans
  • Mesocricetus / virology
  • Mice
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / immunology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
  • Primates / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Viral Vaccines