Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the coronavirus. This pneumonia-like condition has taken lives across the globe and infected thousands of others. Worldwide pandemonium is steadily increasing as the virus is on the brink of being labeled as a pandemic. But there is much that we do not know about this deadly virus, and myths surrounding it have left millions in a state of sheer panic and immense fear. It’s believed that the virus originated from a bat, and many wonder if our four-legged friends can be transmitters of the coronavirus.
In Wuhan, China, thousands of pets were abandoned last month as the city was quarantined and residents fled in fear of their lives. But there were animal lovers who risked their own lives and safety to save many of these abandoned pets.
As of yesterday, the death toll in China is at 2,788; there are 78,824 confirmed cases. The WHO have made it abundantly clear this week that there are cases confirmed across the globe, with the exclusion of Antarctica.
And it was confirmed just today in Hong Kong that a dog tested “weakly positive” for this deadly condition.
LiveScience.com touched on many of the myths surrounding this virus that is steadily infecting people across the globe. Alas, fear of the unknown is quick to take many of us under its spell. This virus is so new that we as a world are struggling to put the pieces together and trying to stop it. But when it comes to our pets, it’s our job to keep them safe.
Thankfully, it seems that it is not possible for our pets to transmit the virus to humans.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of WHO’s emergencies program, released a statement saying:
“We’re working with them to understand the results, to understand what further testing they are doing and to understand how they are going to care for these animals.”
Hong Kong is making it clear that pets of those people who are infected need to be quarantined. The dog that has tested weakly positive for the virus was not displaying any symptoms. However, nasal and oral cavity samples did test weakly positive for the coronavirus. The owner of the dog, a 60-year-old woman, first showed symptoms of the virus on February 12th.
CNBC reports that Hong Kong officials are taking extreme precautions with the pets of those who have contracted the virus:
The Hong Kong government declared cats, dogs and other domesticated mammals whose owners test positive and are quarantined for COVID-19 would be collected and delivered to a “designated animal keeping” facility for quarantine and veterinary surveillance.
For the dog who has tested positive for the coronavirus, he will be returned to his rightful owner once he tests negative for the virus.
