I’ve been coming across TONS of questions from worried people, the most important question being:

If two dogs in Hong Kong and a tiger in New York could get infected with Covid-19, is there a chance that my cat or dog could pass it on to me? And should I abandon my pet right now?

So, let’s understand how an animal could get it from a human being.

How could the tiger have got infected? The handler may not have washed his/her hands before touching the tiger’s food. S/he may have sneezed on the food. Or, even when the food was bought, the butcher (or whoever cut or packed the food) may have sneezed on it. Or the handler may have sneezed or blown his/her nose somewhere there; the tiger may have stepped on that, and then licked its paw. The possibilities are endless.

Likewise, with our pets, an infected person’s saliva can get on/in the pet. To keep your pets (and yourself) safe:

  • Don’t kiss them.
  • Don’t give them leftovers that you have put in your mouth.
  • The same goes for the wasted water from your glass — don’t pour it in the pet’s bowl.
    (Isn’t it a good thing we don’t eat their leftover food or drink out of their bowl? 😄)
  • Wash your hands before and after handling their food.
  • Give them cooked food.
  • In short, just follow the same hygiene rules before touching your pets — the same rules that you follow about washing your hands before touching your nose, mouth, food, etc., and of not sneezing on anyone (or your pet or its food).
  • Keep people away from your pet because you cannot tell who may infect it.
  • Do not get close to other people’s pets, and do not let your pets play with each other.
  • If it’s possible, walk your pet in a very limited and known area, because it may sniff around on the road and get some droplets in its nostrils or on whiskers or paws.
  • With a street dog, the chances are even slimmer, since most people do not get close enough to the dog to transmit it or pick it up from them.

Do take note: When we touch an animal, we are generally more careful about washing our hands before eating. However, when we touch a doorknob, handrail, car handle or currency note, we don’t think twice about opening that bag of chips and taking some with our hands. And yes, the domestic help may have gone to the grocery store and touched the same doorknob without washing her hands. Therefore, I think we are far more at risk from exposure to everyday inanimate objects than to animals!

Therefore, I think it highly unlikely that we will get it from animals if we follow the hygiene rules stated above.

Moral of the story: Wash your hands well before and after handling everyday items, food, an animal, or yourself! 😊

(Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or vet. Views expressed are personal.)