German Shepherd Buddy, the first dog in the US to test positive for COVID-19, died this month earlier this month.
Buddy initially showed symptoms of COVID-19 in April. According to an exclusive report from National Geographic, he tried to breathe, became lethargic and lost weight.
Although he was tested for COVID-19 on May 15, his family did not receive confirmation that he had the disease until they were restored by the New York City Department of Health on June 2.
Buddy began vomiting blood clotted a month later, and doctors found that his beloved dog had lymphoma. Buddy’s family decided that sleep would be a humane approach. (Doctors are not sure about the nature of the respective roles that the dog COVID-19 and lymphoma play in passing the dog.)
“My pet was like my son,” said Buddy’s owner Allison Mahoney, National Geographic. “When he left in front of me, he had blood on all his paws. I cleaned it before we went to the vet and stayed with him in the back seat. I said, “I will hear your voice, because all our hairy friends. Your voice will be heard, Buddy. ‘ “
Since that writing, the US Department of Agriculture has diagnosed more than two dozen animals with the new coronavirus. It is not yet proven that pets can easily obtain a new coronavirus. At the same time, there are still concerns that humans could infect animals. Therefore, persons diagnosed with COVID-19 are advised to avoid physical contact with their pets and other animals.
“We are still learning about SARS-CoV-2 in animals, but there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of the virus,” the USDA said in a press release discussing the first diagnosis of COVID-19 in the United States. the dog. “Based on the limited information available, the risk of the virus spreading to humans is considered low. There is no justification for taking action against pets, which could endanger their welfare. “
Studies suggest that dogs and cats are sensitive to COVID-19, although it appears to be more cats. At the same time, health professionals urge pet owners to avoid leaving their pet companions simply because they fear disease.
“The danger we face is that people will be nervous when they learn that companion animals could be viral carriers and have decided to get rid of them,” natural science virologist Jürgen Richt of Kansas State University in Manhattan said in May.
The first known new coronavirus infection for an animal in the United States was Nadia, a four-year-old Malaysian tiger that lives in the Bronx Zoo. Nadia was tested for a new coronavirus after she began to show disturbing symptoms, including dry cough and loss of appetite.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported cases of COVID-19 in lions and minks. It has also been found that common marmosets, cynomolgus macaques, ferrets, grivets, golden Syrian hamsters and Rhesus macaques can be infected.
The Agency also notes that the new coronavirus appears to be derived from bats.
“Some coronaviruses that infect animals can spread to humans and then spread to humans, but this is rare,” he writes. “It happened to a virus that caused a simultaneous outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, which probably came from bats. The first reported infections were associated with the live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person to person.
He adds: “The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through breathing drops from coughing, sneezing and talking. Recent studies show that people who are infected but have no symptoms are also likely to play a role in the spread of COVID. -19. “