Shouldn't We Be Studying Our Pets More Closely?

[easysurfer]

I've seen several news stories saying good news that dogs and cats don't get Covid-19 so it is safe to love on them. But the stories pretty much stop there.

I haven't seen any stories as to why they don't get Covid-19. Shouldn't the scientists be asking what is it about dogs and cats that protect them from the virus and not humans?

[Aerides]

Here's the CDC info:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...g/animals.html

tl;dr: You can't get it from your pet, but you might be able to give it to them, so don't love on them if you are sick.

[audreyh1]

I believe cats do get COVID-19.

Several high profile zoo tigers caught it recently.

[easysurfer]

Here's from an article, but from March which in Covid-19 days is a long time ago:

Quote:

Vanessa Barrs, who studies diseases in pets at City University of Hong Kong’s Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, explains to Parents.com, "The results of all of the tests show that the dog has a mild infection, acquired from its owner. The dog is not sick. The tests show that the virus is replicating inside of the dog's body, but it is not very good at it, and consequently it is only shedding small amounts of virus in its nose and mouth." To catch COVID-19, you have to be exposed to a certain dose of the virus, she notes. But the dog is shedding just a tiny amount of it, which means it is unlikely to be contagious. Barrs says that when a virus doesn't replicate very well in an animal—as is the case here—no onward transmission occurs.

https://www.parents.com/parenting/pe...cats-and-dogs/

I must have misposted in my original post as I guess dogs and cats can get COVID-19, but they seem to not get as sick as humans. Otherwise, you'd think there be large reported cases of pets dying with all the infections.

This article to mentions casually, that well, the virus doesn't replicate well in an animal. My question is "Why?" Should that be an Aha! moment for scientists to study?

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer I've seen several news stories saying good news that dogs and cats don't get Covid-19 so it is safe to love on them. But the stories pretty much stop there. I haven't seen any stories as to why they don't get Covid-19. Shouldn't the scientists be asking what is it about dogs and cats that protect them from the virus and not humans?

Interesting question. Susceptibility to anything varies from person to person. Different primates vary from us more than we vary from each other. Different mammals vary from us more than we vary from other primates. So even if we knew why certain species aren't susceptible to certain pathogens, it probably wouldn't provide any information that would help with human vaccines or treatments.

It's much more productive to focus research on people who have been asymptomatic, or who have been had mild cases and recovered. Those are the conditions that might be easier to induce or replicate in other people to protect them (which is basically what vaccines aim to do).

[Spock]

Too much "internet science" to determine if pets get corvid19.
But
Not every disease effects every species. Humans can't catch canine parvovirus. etc.

Even within humans, there are reports of certain genetics being more susceptible to corvid19 than others based on the genetics in the upper respiratory tract. Another article suggested blood type 0 was less susceptible.
Again, too much "internet science" to separate smoke from fire.

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cosmic Avenger Interesting question. Susceptibility to anything varies from person to person. Different primates vary from us more than we vary from each other. Different mammals vary from us more than we vary from other primates. So even if we knew why certain species aren't susceptible to certain pathogens, it probably wouldn't provide any information that would help with human vaccines or treatments. It's much more productive to focus research on people who have been asymptomatic, or who have been had mild cases and recovered. Those are the conditions that might be easier to induce or replicate in other people to protect them (which is basically what vaccines aim to do).

Thanks. That's a very good explanation for my curious mind .

[ER Eddie]

Any reported cases of animals dying from COVID 19? I haven't heard any.

[W2R]

All I can say is that I'm glad I don't have a pet because that would worry me, and I'd be posting threads like this to try to re-assure myself that Fluffy could never possibly catch COVID-19 from me, or transfer it to me. I'd have been especially concerned after reading the story about the zoo tigers that had it.

[P.S.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer Shouldn't the scientists be asking what is it about dogs and cats that protect them from the virus and not humans?

This has been studied:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...03.30.015347v1

In the above study, SARS-CoV2 replicates well in ferrets and cats, as also shown at the Bronx zoo, where at least 7 tigers and lion were infected.

So if you get COVID 19, don’t kiss your cat. If your cat gets COVID, should it kiss you?

This posits several questions:
Can cats and ferrets serve as a reservoir for SARS CoV2?
Can cats and ferrets transmit to humans?
Can ferrets serve as a research model for COVID19 (Federal law prohibit cats)?

And I wonder: Could a cat or ferret been the intermediary between bats, which cats will eat and which most probably was the original host since the sequence homology is the most similar between one bat coronavirus and SArS CoV2, ... and then ultimately humans?

[statsman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides Here's the CDC info: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...g/animals.html tl;dr: You can't get it from your pet, but you might be able to give it to them, so don't love on them if you are sick.

From the above article:

Quote:

Coronaviruses that infect animals can sometimes be spread to people, but this is rare.

Given we were initially told COVID-19 could not spread from person to person before it actually did, I don't get a warm fuzzy from this statement.

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by statsman From the above article: Given we were initially told COVID-19 could not spread from person to person before it actually did, I don't get a warm fuzzy from this statement.

Well, that was Chinese/WHO cover-up BS. This is the CDC, which I think is more trustworthy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Any reported cases of animals dying from COVID 19? I haven't heard any.

I'll answer my own question: nope. There was a Pomeranian who tested mildly positive, then later tested negative and was released from care. He died a couple weeks later. However, it's not clear whether he died from the virus or some other cause.

[folivier]

Glad someone finally posted this. I’ve talked with a few dog owners and been chastised for saying that dogs can be a vector. Think about this scenario: a dog licks a person who is infectious and has recently coughed into his hand. Then the dog licks someone elses hand or face. Couldn’t the dog just transfer the virus from his tongue?
I've been distancing from people and their dogs.

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by folivier Glad someone finally posted this. I’ve talked with a few dog owners and been chastised for saying that dogs can be a vector. Think about this scenario: a dog licks a person who is infectious and has recently coughed into his hand. Then the dog licks someone elses hand or face. Couldn’t the dog just transfer the virus from his tongue? I've been distancing from people and their dogs.

I'm pretty sure this has already been addressed here at least once: animals can be a contact vector just like any other surface. Even if you have a 10' lead, I wouldn't let anyone else pet your dog now, for their protection as much as your own, even though contact is thought to be a minor consideration compared to inhalation.

Dogs are also much harder to clean or isolate than packages or other "objects" that you bring into your house!