As COVID-19 continues to sweep the world and impact all areas of business and social interactions, we take a look at how it has affected both animals and humans and how the veterinarians are responding to the crisis.
Coronavirus disease has been around for some time now and seems to have emerged from an animal source, and it is now spreading from person-to-person and the spread is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people and animals but there are some few instances of the virus being spread from people to animals
While we do not yet know for sure, there is no evidence that animals can be infected with or spread COVID-19. We also do not know if they could get sick from this new coronavirus. Additionally, there is currently no evidence that animals could be a source of infection to people. This is a rapidly evolving situation and we hope to continue getting more information from the World Health Organization with time.
Research on Animals and COVID-19
Soon after the new coronavirus started spreading around the globe, reports emerged of cases in animals — pet cats in Hong Kong, tigers in a New York City zoo and mink on farms in the Netherlands. Now researchers are urgently trying to discover which species can catch the virus, and whether they can pass it to people.
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cats, dogs, and a few other types of animals can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but we don’t yet know if all of the animals can get infected. There have been reports of animals being infected with the virus worldwide. Some include;
- A small number of cats and dogs have been reported to be infected with the virus in several countries, including the United States. Most of these pets became sick after contact with people with COVID-19.
- Several lions and tigers at a New York zoo tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after showing signs of respiratory illness. Public health officials believe these large cats became sick after being exposed to a zoo employee who was infected with SARS-CoV-2. All of these large cats have fully recovered.
- SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in mink (which are closely related to ferrets) on multiple farms in the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, and the United States.
Experiments in pigs, ducks and chickens show that they are not susceptible to the virus, but there have been no studies of other livestock animals, such as cows, sheep and horses.
At the moment, the chance of contracting the disease from an infected animal is negligible compared to the risk of catching it from an ill person, say researchers.
How Veterinarians Are Responding to the Virus
Veterinarians, Covid 19 and Farm Animals
There are no established cases of farm animals getting infected with Covid 19 but it’s important for veterinarians to take the necessary precautions to avoid infecting the farm animals with Covid 19. Veterinarians infected with Covid 19 are advised to avoid contact with their animals and refrain from visiting stables, delegate the care for the livestock to others.
Veterinarians, Covid 19 and pets
Veterinarians that may be infected with Covid 19 are advised to avoid contact with pets as much as possible. This means no petting, hugging or allowing the pet to lick you. If one is a Covid 19 patient in quarantine and living with any other person, they should stay in their room and not allow the pet in the room. Housemates can take care of the pet as they maintain the normal hygiene measures.
There is no indication that animals contribute to spreading the virus. Dogs and other animals may be walked as usual, and are permitted to be in contact with other dogs during their walk. Anyone walking their dog should adhere to the normal social distancing of 1.5 metres. Cats that are accustomed to roaming outside are free to continue doing so.
Veterinarians, Covid 19 and Wild Animals
Bats which are mammals that live in the wild are believed to be the source of the Corona virus disease. It is because of the human invasion of wildlife that this outbreak came about after human consumption of bush meat from this mammal.
For us to reduce the risk of future emerging infectious disease outbreaks, veterinarians can take up the role to change the social norms around urban bush meat consumption and stopping its commercial trade, which they say should be a priority for governments, the international community, and local populations across the regions.
Stopping the trade of wild animals would significantly reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and the possibility of another global pandemic, while simultaneously allowing rural communities without alternatives to hunt for subsistence.
Changing long-standing consumer practices is a behavior change process that may take time and will require everyone’s responsibility including governments to ensure the end result is a fundamental shift in the social norm around eating bush meat.
Veterinarians, Covid 19 tests for animals
Professionals like veterinarians have to look at how testing animals might contribute to solutions for COVID-19 while also keeping in mind the pressing issues surrounding the pandemic, like lack of available tests for humans.
It is important to note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend routine testing for animals. Tests are so limited that some people who are showing symptoms of the virus and have compromised immune systems can’t even get a test. Moreover, animals play little in the spread of COVID-19.
What can veterinarians do to protect themselves and animals from Covid 19?
According to Center for Disease Control (CDC), the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be very low. More studies are also needed to understand if animals can be affected by COVID-19, but it appears that it can spread from people to animals in some situations. It is therefore the role of veterinarians to ensure that, as they protect themselves, they also protect animals against this deadly pandemic.
What then can veterinarians do to avoid any spread of the Coronavirus disease to animals?
- If a person inside your clinic becomes sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including the animals at the clinic.
- Avoid being public places where a large number of people gather.
- When infected with the virus, have another member of clinic care for the animals.
- If you must care or be around animals while you are sick, wear a mask and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.
- If you are infected with COVID-19, offer telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing sick pets. You can evaluate the pets and determine the next steps for their treatment and care.
- Wash your hands after handling animals, their food, waste, or supplies.
- Practice good pet hygiene and clean up after pets properly.
Conclusion
To ensure that the pandemic does not stay for long with us, it is necessary to maintain the current restriction interventions and self-protection measures issued by the governments and the World Health Organization, including travel restrictions, quarantine of entry, contact tracing followed by quarantine and isolation and reduction of contact, like wearing masks, keeping social distance, etc.
People should be fully aware that this a real-time epidemic situation and keep sufficient personal protection and that of their animals until the time it will declared to be over. If all the above conditions are met, the outbreak is expected to reduce and people all over the world can go on with their normal routines.
