Coronavirus And Pets A Helping Guide

Recent news of animals getting infected with coronavirus, which causes ‘Covid-19’ in humans, has raised threatening questions in the minds of people who spend most of their time around animals i.e. pets and generally also, for people who come in contact with animals frequently.

- Priyanka Kaushal

So, here we put together some basic facts and information about coronavirus and pets.

FACTS

• No evidence suggesting animals transmit the virus to humans or play a role in its spread

There is no evidence that animals transmit the virus to humans or in any way play a role in its spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and other public health bodies and experts agree on this point.

Reasons:

i. Scientists emphasize that there is difference between infected and infectious. In a few cases, this virus doesn’t seem to be transmittable i.e. it is not able to complete its lifecycle in order to spread further. Those cases are known as ‘dead-end hosts’. Hopefully, dogs are such dead-end hosts according to the scientists because the virus doesn’t appear to reproduce well in them. However, cats are still being studied for this.

ii. AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) is of the view that smooth (non-porous) surfaces (e.g. countertops, doorknobs) transmit viruses better than porous materials (e.g. paper money, pet fur) because porous, especially fibrous, materials absorb and trap the pathogen (virus), making it harder to contract through simple touch. Nonetheless, all the public health organizations do advise to wash hands before and after handling a companion pet.

• Susceptibility of different animals to this pandemic disease

Recent cases that have come to light and various studies that have been conducted, suggest that cats are more susceptible.