EASY FIX. I’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, COMING
I’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, COMING
UP AT 6:00.
>> Jason: MANY VIRUSES CAN
SPREAD BETWEEN HUMANS AND
ANIMALS, AND COVID IS NO
EXCEPTION. >> Karen: BUT HOW ARE OUR PETS,
>> Karen: BUT HOW ARE OUR PETS,
HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE HAD COVID?
DR. McGEORGE IS LOOKING INTO THE
RESEARCH AND LIVE THIS EVENING
TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PETS AND COVID AND WHAT PET
PETS AND COVID AND WHAT PET
OWNERS SHOULD DO TO PROTECT
THEIR FURRY FRIENDS.
DOC?
>> Dr. McGeorge: IN THE VERY
BEGINNING THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS SPORADIC REPORTS OF DOGS OR
WAS SPORADIC REPORTS OF DOGS OR
CATS TESTING POSITIVE BUT VERY
LITTLE FOCUS ON HOW OFTEN IT
HAPPENED, WHICH PETS WERE THE
MOST AT RISK AND IF ANIMALS COULD SPREAD COVID TO US.
COULD SPREAD COVID TO US.
SO I FOUND AN INTERNATIONAL
EXPERT TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
>> MOST INFECTIOUS DISEASES THAT
CAUSE OUTBREAKS IN PEOPLE COME FROM ANIMALS.
FROM ANIMALS.
AND COVID-19, THE DISEASE, IS NO
DIFFERENT.
IT COMES FROM A BAT. >> Dr. McGeorge: SHE IS A
>> Dr. McGeorge: SHE IS A
PROFESSION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
GUELPH IN ONTARIO.
SHE POINTS OUT, GIVEN THAT IT
COMES FROM AN ANIMAL, IT
SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISING THAT IT
CAN BE SPREAD TO ANIMALS.
>> DURING THE PAST YEAR, WE
FOUND OUT THAT MINK ARE HIGHLY
INFECTIBLE.
AND CATS ARE RELATIVELY
INFECTIBLE.
DOGS ARE ALSO INFECTIBLE.
AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SPECIES
ARE INFECTIBLE.
>> Dr. McGeorge: THEY WANTED TO
FIND OUT HOW QUICKLY PEOPLE PASS
IT TO THEIR PETS AND TESTED THE
CATS LIVING WITH COVID POSITIVE
OWNERS AND COMPARED THEM TO A GROUP OF STRAY CATS WHO DID NOT
GROUP OF STRAY CATS WHO DID NOT
HAVE A KNOWN COVID EXPOSURE.
>> WE FOUND A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE CATS THAT LIVED IN
THE HOUSEHOLD VERSUS THOSE ADMITTED TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
ADMITTED TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
>> Dr. McGeorge: 67% OF CATS
EXPOSED TO COVID OWNERS HAD
ANTIBODIES AGAINST SARS-COV-2 COMPARED TO STRAY CUTS.
COMPARED TO STRAY CUTS.
A LARGE NUMBER WERE LIKELY INFECTED BY THEIR OWNERS.
INFECTED BY THEIR OWNERS.
FOR DOGS, 43% WHO LIVED WITH AN
INFECTED OWNER WERE POSITIVE.
>> IT’S ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEPING
ON A BED WITH THE OWNER. CATS LIKE TO SLEEP CLOSE TO THE
CATS LIKE TO SLEEP CLOSE TO THE
OWNER’S NECK AND FACE AND WOULD
BE EXPOSED TO THEIR BREATH FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND MORE FREQUENTLY.
THERE WAS A TREND ON THE
DURATION OF THE CONTACT TO BE
HIGHER IN CATS.
CATS THAT SPENT 19-24 HOURS A
DAY WITH THEIR OWNER WERE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE A POSITIVE TEST
THAN THOSE WHO SPENT LESS TIME
WITH THEIR OWNER.
CATS AND DOGS SEEM TO BECOME INFECTED AND CLEAR THE INFECTION
INFECTED AND CLEAR THE INFECTION
AFTER A SHORT TIME.
THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS.
SOME CATS CAN BE INFECTED FOR
PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME OF TIME.
IN GENERAL, THEY’RE INFECTED FOR
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
>> Dr. McGeorge: 27% OF CATS HAD
SYMPTOMS, A RUNNY NOSE AND DIFFICULTY BREATHING.
DIFFICULTY BREATHING.
MOST CASES WERE MILD BUT THREE
WERE SEVERE.
20% OF DOGS HAD SYMPTOMS, MAINLY
A LACK OF ENERGY AND LOSS OF
APPETITE. PET OWNERS WHO BECOME INFECTED
PET OWNERS WHO BECOME INFECTED
WITH COVID SHOULD PROTECT THEIR
FURRY COMPANIONS.
>> STAY AWAY FROM THEM AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE WHILE THEY’RE ILL FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
>> Dr. McGeorge: AND ALTHOUGH
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY
WELL-DOCUMENTED INSTANCES OF PETS INFECTING PEOPLE --
PETS INFECTING PEOPLE --
>> I WOULD TREAT THEM JUST LIKE
A PERSON WITH SARS-COV-2 AND
STAY AWAY FROM THEM. >> Dr. McGeorge: IF YOU HAVE A
>> Dr. McGeorge: IF YOU HAVE A
PET WITH COVID, WEAR MASKS AND
WEAR GLOVES WHEN CLEANING UP
AFTER THEM.
THERE’S A VACCINE FOR ANIMALS WILL YOU ONLY USED FOR AT-RISK
WILL YOU ONLY USED FOR AT-RISK
ANIMALS IN ZOOS.
THERE MAY BE ONE AVAILABLE FOR
HOUSE PETS BUT IT’S NOT A
PRIORITY SINCE MOST PETS GET
THEIR INFECTIONS FROM THEIR OWNERS, THE BEST WAY IS TO
OWNERS, THE BEST WAY IS TO
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM GETTING