Pet cat tests positive for coronavirus

In the first case of animal infection of the novel coronavirus in the UK, a pet cat has tested positive for COVID-19.

Health officials have reportedly mentioned that there is no evidence that the cat could pass on the infection to human beings. They further mentioned that all available evidence indicated that the cat contracted the virus from its owners, who had recently tested positive for coronavirus. Stating that the cat poses no risk, the environmental ministry said, “Although this is the first confirmed case of an animal infection with the coronavirus strain in the UK, there is no evidence to suggest that the animal was involved in transmission of the disease.” A chief veterinary officer has also reassured that there was no evidence that pets could transmit the virus to human beings. A private vet initially diagnosed the cat with feline herpes virus but when the sample was sent for a COVID-19 test, it came back positive.

President of the British veterinary association, Daniella Dos Santos, reportedly stated, “Our advice to pet owners who have Covid-19 or who are self-isolating with symptoms remains to restrict contact with their pets as a precautionary measure and to practise good hygiene, including regular handwashing. We also recommend that owners who are confirmed or suspected to have Covid-19 should keep their cat indoors if possible, but only if the cat is happy to be kept indoors. Some cats cannot stay indoors due to stress-related medical reasons.”

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 656,920 people and infected over 16,661,850 people across the world. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China. As the death toll and overall cases began rising rapidly across the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency and the outbreak was labelled a pandemic.