Study claims cats likely to be infected by COVID-19

CALIFORNIA: The new study has claimed that cats can become infected with the COVID-19 but not all animals appear to be vulnerable.

The study was published on the website of the journal Science which took a closer look at the transmission of the virus between humans and pets. The study found that dogs, chickens, and ducks are not likely to catch the virus.

The study was aimed at identifying which animals are more exposed to the virus so they can be used to test experimental vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 95,751 people worldwide.

SARS-CoV-2 is believed to have spread from bats to humans. There has not been strong evidence that pets can be carriers of the virus except for a few reported infections in cats.

A prior study conducted in China found animals such as cats and ferrets were highly responsive to the virus when researchers attempted to infect the animals by introducing viral particles through the nose. They also found cats can infect each other via respiratory droplets.

The study stated that the monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 in cats should be considered as a supplement to the removal of COVID-19 in humans. However, in ferrets, the virus was found in the upper respiratory region but did not cause severe disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronavirus is an infectious disease caused when an infected person interacts with another as it is a contagious virus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. 

The best way to prevent yourself from the COVID-19 virus is by washing your hands, maintain a social distancing, use elbows instead of hands while sneezing and avoid touching your face.

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