COVID Testing Is Expanding To Include Our Furry Friends
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – COVID tests aren't fun for anyone.
But as more animals are found to be coronavirus-positive, testing is expanding to include our four-legged friends.
Canines and cats with COVID isn't new, with a handful of pets across the United States coming down with the disease.
Health experts say there's no evidence people can catch the virus from their furry friends. However, the Food and Drug Administration has reported infected people can give it to their pets.
In a YouTube video, the FDA said that cats and ferrets are the pets most susceptible to COVID-19, but dogs can catch it too.
Winston the pug was apparently the first dog in the United States to test positive for the coronavirus.
Like their owners, animals that test positive should be kept isolation for 14 days.
After a kitten in South Korea tested positive in January, officials in Seoul are testing all pets with a cough or fever.
At least two gorillas at San Diego Zoo tested positive for COVID a month ago. Officials believe they caught it from an asymptomatic zoo worker.
The Centers for Disease Control advises the same social distancing guidelines for pets as for people.