A recent study revealed that dogs cannot spread Covid-19.
In line with everyone’s increasing concern about the safety of dogs and cats during the pandemic, the National Academy of Science did extensive research to check how dogs and cats can be affected by the coronavirus.
The study revealed that indeed, dogs and cats can be infected by the same coronavirus that caused this year’s global pandemic. However, upon infection, not one dog or cat showed any clinical symptoms like fever, coughing, and sneezing. Data revealed that dogs don’t spread the disease while cats can.
The close study showed that infected cats can pass the virus to healthy cats that live in the same space. It also showed that cats can easily develop an amazing immune response once infected. This bolstered future studies on veterinary vaccine research that will have cats as subjects. Scientists will study how cats’ immune systems can easily react and attack the virus.
In the study, the scientists used pipette samples to place strains of the virus into the noses of slightly sedated dogs and cats. Upon placement of the virus, all animals were observed for four weeks.
For four weeks, scientists collected specimens from the animals’ sneezed-out stuff. They tested such specimen and checked if strains of the virus are present.
Samples from the dogs did not contain any strain of measurable virus. However, samples from the cats contained strains of the virus five to seven days after they were infected.
For further research, scientists placed two infected cats with two healthy cats. After five days of being in the same room with the sick cats, the two healthy cats also got the virus.
The scientists concluded that cats can get infected with the virus but humans don’t notice because cats don’t show symptoms. Cat-lovers and cat experts know that cats are skilled at hiding signs of sickness or pain.
The study should not cause alarm and panic. There are still zero evidence and record of pet-to-human transmission of the virus. However, scientists advised COVID-positive humans to not be near their pets. Humans can potentially spread the virus to their pets and their pets can transmit the virus to each other. For this pandemic to soon be over, we must all take part in ensuring that the virus does not spread. The goal is for the virus to ultimately cease to exist. It should be very easy if we would all be careful by wearing a mask, washing our hands properly, and observing social distancing at all times.
Keep on carrying on! We will all get through this together!
