{"id":31669,"date":"2020-03-11T02:25:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T02:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addictionpet.com\/en-nz\/?p=31669"},"modified":"2021-03-12T08:22:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T08:22:51","slug":"covid-19-what-you-know-affects-you-and-your-pet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addictionpet.com\/en-nz\/blog\/covid-19-what-you-know-affects-you-and-your-pet\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19: What You Know Affects You and Your Pet"},"content":{"rendered":"

News stories about pets with COVID-19 being abandoned or thrown from buildings for fear that the pet owners will get infected by the virus abound. Terrible though the stories are, we, as pet owners, should educate ourselves on what COVID-19 is and how it impacts you and your pet.<\/p>\n

What is COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n

COVID-19 (or CO<\/strong>rona VI<\/strong>rus D<\/strong>isease 2019<\/strong>) was previously known as 2019-nCov or 2019 novel coronavirus<\/a>. This highly contagious virus causes severe pneumonia which can be fatal to high-risk individuals<\/a>. These are the elderly aged 60 years old and above<\/a>, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.<\/p>\n

It was also found out that the virus originated from animals and mutated enough to infect humans. The first known cases were discovered in Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has crossed 100,000 reported cases in 100 countries.\u00a0 Read more about COVID-19 here<\/a><\/p>\n

How COVID-19 is spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the CDC, COVID-19 spreads mainly through person-to-person. \u201cPeople who are in close contact with an infected individual within about 6 feet. Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; these droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.\u201d COVID-19 also spreads when you touch contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.<\/p>\n

What if my pet has COVID-19?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Horrific news bits of pets being abandoned or even thrown away are rife in social media. We need not do if we suspect that our furballs have contracted the disease. Here\u2019s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) has to say about pets contracting COVID-19<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, it is now spreading from person-to-person in China. There is no reason to think that any animals including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19<\/strong>. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19<\/strong>. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it\u2019s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Observe proper hygiene<\/strong><\/p>\n

Proper hygiene should always be observed, especially with COVID-19 still being contained by authorities as of this writing. According to WHO, here\u2019s what you should do<\/a>:<\/p>\n