Our Pets Can Survive Covid-19 Better Than Us… But It Doesn’t Mean We Should Take Them For Granted

By Ameera Rosli  •  in News
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source: Wallup.net

One of the biggest hurdles of the pandemic that is felt by almost everyone stuck at home right now is the longing for connection.

Missing nights out and the endless chatter between drinks and food with our closest friends can cause us to feel lonely at home. A space that was once buzzing with conversations is now resoundingly silent save for the white noise that fills the air from the TV.

The only thing keeping us sane is our pets.

source: @bensbitches (Instagram)

Bringing us warmth and the occasional laughter with their cute antics, our pets have dragged us out of bed, hand in paw, and pushed us to keep soldiering on despite the mind-numbing routine and isolation.

And that is why we need to keep them safe.

Covid-19 is easily transferrable to our cats and dogs especially when the primary owner has contracted the disease.

Mobile veterinary clinic
source: BBC

Recently, the BBC reported that swabs were taken from 310 pets in 196 Holland households where human infection had been detected. 6 cats and 7 dogs returned a positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) result but 54 animals tested positive for virus antibodies.

Dr Els Broens, from Utrecht University, said, “If you have Covid, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, just as you would do with other people.”

Based on observation, pets tend to fare better when it comes to fighting off the virus but with the unpredictable mutations, we can’t take their immunisation to the virus for granted.

Since it’s difficult to detect if pets can actually transfer the virus to humans due to the insurmountable human-to-human contractions that are taking up all the scientific tests, scientists are still taking precautions to ensure contact is minimised.

Russia rolls out COVID-19 vaccine for animals - CGTN
source: CGTN

Due to that, Russia has even taken up the initiative to vaccinate their pets with an animal-specific jab.

The lesson here is that we have to keep our pets in mind during the battle for herd-immunity. With numerous variants of Covid-19 running rampant and the lack of in-depth research when it comes to animals, it’s best not to gamble their precious lives on something we’re unsure of.

So, if you’re quarantining at home, book them a stay at a trusted pet hotel or get the help of a neighbourhood pawrent to make sure your pets are far from your reach.

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