Covid-19 does not spread from animals to people, claims PETA

COVID-19 Health

The NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Monday claimed no cases of animals spreading Covid-19 virus have been reported, so humans can take care of pets at home without the risk of being infected.

According to a BBC article, scientists say there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the disease to people.

Pet owners, however, have got their pets vaccinated with other immunity boosters.

Galan Bevant Lyngdoh, a pet owner, informed The Observer: “I have a dog named Biggie. Luckily I got him vaccinated before the recent lockdown. But just like humans, even pets can fall sick anytime.”

Scientists are developing Covid-19 vaccines specially designed for animals. In April, Russia announced it had registered the world’s first animal-specific jab, the BBC report said. 

Dr Ram Jatan, a senior veterinarian in Delhi, said coronavirus is not spread from pets to humans. “Covid-19 has been found in a variety of wild animals, including big cats, in Indian zoos. For testing, the samples were sent to the Indian Biological Sciences and Research Institute (IBRI),” he informed ANI. 

Dr Pawan Cesan, a veterinarian in Bengaluru, said: “According to the latest studies, animals do not transmit Covid-19 to humans, nor do humans are at a risk of receiving Covid-19. However, cases of Covid-19 in lions have been reported.”

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on April 12 said human health could not be seen in isolation in an age of increased contact between humans and animals, requiring a “one-health” solution. 

“With increased contact between humans and animals, human well-being can no longer be seen in isolation,” he said. Covid is more than a reminder of it, Vardhan said while releasing the journal of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

In April, two lionesses at the Etawah Safari Park, Uttar Pradesh, tested positive. The SARS-CoV2 virus has also been detected in eight Asiatic lions at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. 

Some zoologists believe that the Covid-19 vaccine being given to humans can be effective in animals in the same manner.

Madan Chaturvedi, a zoology professor at the University of Delhi, said: “If an animal is affected by the virus, it shows the same symptoms as that of a human and can be treated with the same antibiotics given to humans. Based on recent findings by different researchers, no animal has directly transmitted SARS-CoV2 to humans.”

queeneerich.k@iijnm.org

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