Dr. Scott Weese smiles at the camera.
Dr. Scott Weese

Dr. Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), made headlines this week, speaking to the The New York Times and CBC Science examining concerns about COVID-19 in white-tailed deer.  

Speaking to CBC, Weese, director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, said COVID-19 and its association with animals is not just about the origin of the virus but about taking a holistic approach, recognizing that humans and species are interlinked, a hallmark of Global 1 Health Network, of which Weese is a member. 

“We don’t have people and everything else. We’re all in this big ecosystem.”

Weese downplayed the concern of deer-to-human infection in the Times piece saying, “even if deer were infecting people, it’s largely inconsequential in the grand scheme, because millions of people are getting infected from human-to-human transmission.” 

Weese previously made national headlines on the topic, addressing concerns about the virus spreading and evolving new variants within wildlife.  

A veterinary internal medicine specialist, Weese researches emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and the spread between humans and animals. 

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