The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed become a scourge for everyone. In addition to its rapid transmission, the number of victims who died from COVID-19 worldwide.
According to Worldometer data, the corona virus has infected more than 12 million people with a death rate reaching 600 thousand people.
The high rate of infection and death caused by the corona virus makes everyone worry. What’s more, there is news circulating that pets can be infected with the corona virus and vice versa.
According to WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered type of coronavirus. This newly discovered Coronavirus can cause respiratory tract infections, such as MERS and SARS.
However, is it true that pets are capable of transmitting COVID-19 to their owners? Is it true that the owner is able to transmit COVID-19 to his pet? Here is a little explanation for you.
News about COVID-19 Infected Animals
There are several animals that are rumored to have been infected with COVID-19 in several countries, namely:
1. Tiger in New York
A tiger named 4-year-old Nadia at the Bronx zoo in New York City is said to have COVID-19. Reportedly, the tiger was suspected to be infected by zoo officials who were previously infected with the corona virus (also read: differences between sumatran tiger and bengal tiger).
The COVID-19 test results from this tiger which showed positive results certainly surprised the medical staff. Because, only this time there are wild animals in zoos that are infected with COVID-19.
2. Dogs in Hong Kong
Before the tiger in New York, there was a dog in Hong Kong that reportedly also contracted COVID-19 from its owner who suffered the same disease. After undergoing a series of tests and showing positive results, the dog was quarantined (also read: common disease that are contagious to human).
Despite recovering from COVID-19, the 17-year-old dog finally died. However, the dog’s death was identified not because of the corona virus, but because of age and other inherited diseases (also read: unknown but deadly dog diseases every dog owner should know).
3. Cats in Belgium
In addition to dogs and tigers, there is a cat in Belgium reportedly also infected with the corona virus. The cat was reportedly infected from its owner who was also infected with the corona virus a week after the owner tested positive (also read: cat diseases that can be contagious to their owners).
The cat was undergoing isolation because it showed symptoms of COVID-19 disease. However, a few days later, the cat had recovered and was released from isolation (also read: common diseases of cat).
Is it true that COVID-19 can be transmitted from pets to owners?
Although there is news circulating that pets can transmit COVID-19 to their owners, there is no research that confirms this statement. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alone says that there is no evidence to suggest that pets can transmit COVID-19.
Family medicine expert, Neha Vyas, also said the same thing. Vyas believes that there is no evidence that pets can transmit the corona virus to humans or their owners. In addition, Vyas also mentioned that corona virus infections that occur in animals are different from those that infect humans.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also said that based on current evidence, human-to-human transmission is still the main driver of the spread of COVID-19 in the world.
Thus, it can be concluded that until now there has been no valid evidence that shows that pets are capable of transmitting COVID-19 to their owners and vice versa.
How to Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 to and from Pets
Although the transmission of COVID-19 from pets to the owner has not been proven true, the owner must still be careful with maintaining the health of the pet and himself. Then, what needs to be done with pets during this pandemic?
There are several things that the owner can do with his pet during the pandemic, namely:
1. Keep Yourself Clean
The first thing that the owner must do is to keep himself clean. The owner needs to implement health protocols that have been established in each country.
It aims to maintain cleanliness of yourself from various bacteria and viruses that stick when you leave the house.
2. Keep Pet Clean
In addition to maintaining personal hygiene, the owner also needs to maintain the cleanliness of his pet. The owner needs to bathe the pet regularly and keep his fur clean.
It aims to maintain the health and cleanliness of pets from various bacteria and viruses that stick.
3. Wash Your Hands After Interacting with Pets
Interacting with pets is still very necessary to maintain the mood of our pets are maintained properly. However, the owner needs to pay attention to cleanliness after interacting with pets.
Make it a habit to wash your hands after interacting with pets. This aims to get rid of viruses and bacteria that might stick to your hands.
That was a little explanation about the news that COVID-19 can infect from pets to the owner. There is no research that shows that the news is true. However, we still need to be careful and implement existing health protocols.
Hopefully this article can be useful for you and able to provide solutions in your life. See you in the next article.