“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.”--Harry S Truman
Dogs and cats are not only good friends, but they're also
safer for their owners than other human beings in the age of the coronavirus. [bold added]
In all, the OIE ["L'Organisation Mondiale de la Sante Animale"--World Organization for Animal Health] has recorded roughly 20 individual cases, as well as some larger outbreaks among groups of animals living in close proximity, since the pandemic began.
In almost all these cases, public-health authorities concluded the animals became infected through contact with an infected human—an owner, household member or, in the case of the Bronx Zoo, a zookeeper.
Few animals get badly sick. The cases recorded with the OIE list symptoms including cough, wheezing, some loss of appetite and mild digestive issues.
And there are no recorded instances of pets passing on the virus to humans.
The CDC's advice is to be as cautious as one would be with humans:
For pet owners, the CDC advises treating the household dog or cat as any other family member during the pandemic: Don’t let them interact with people outside the household, and if someone within the household falls ill, isolate them away from others, including pets.
You won't catch the virus from your pet, and your pet won't argue with you about politics. That's a good friend to have in Washington, in fact everywhere.
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