Agency scientists say that neither pets nor wild animals played a role in the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
- Animals can be infected with the virus and develop symptoms.
- ANSES recommends that patients infected with Covid-19 respect barrier gestures with pets.
- Dog owners 78% more likely to be affected by Covid-19, according to a Spanish study.
The National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) puts an end to the debates. No, animals, domestic or wild, do not participate in the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The Agency affirms it in a notice published Thursday, November 19 which summarizes the scientific data and studies available worldwide. “In the light of the scientific elements currently available […]domestic and wild animals do not, to date, play an epidemiological role in the maintenance and spread of Sars-CoV-2 at the national or even global level”, concluded ANSES.
Barrier gestures also with animals
The Agency confirms that animals can be infected with the virus and develop symptoms. It is therefore appropriate to remainparticularly vigilant” because this “raises the question of a possible risk of the constitution of an animal reservoir other than humans”, adds ANSES. The example of mink, the only species currently known to be the source of interspecies contamination to humans and cats, shows that this problem should not be taken lightly. In Denmark, the government announced in early November the slaughter of its more than 15 million animals due to the discovery of a mutation in the virus, transmitted to humans and which could have threatened the effectiveness of a vaccine.
To avoid any risk, ANSES recommends that patients infected with Covid-19 “respect barrier gestures“with pets”in order to limit the risk of infection from humans to animals, without compromising their well-being”. The agency adds that it would be desirable for owners to wear a mask if contact cannot be avoided.
Dog owners 78% more likely to be affected by Covid-19
A Spanish study, published on November 2 in the journal Environmental Research, suggests that dog owners are 78% more likely to be affected by Covid-19. While the reasons behind this figure remain unknown, researchers believe it may be because dog owners are more likely to have social interactions during the daily walks they take for their pet. Some think that this is explained by the fact that the dog can contaminate the human but no scientific proof makes it possible to affirm it with certainty.
.