Covid-19: Dog owners have a 78% higher risk of becoming infected

19-11-2020 by Mirai

The entire population is at risk of contracting Covid-19. But according to a recent Spanish study, one category of people is more likely to be infected than another: dog owners. This is why.

It is no longer a secret that certain places favor the circulation of the virus and contamination. Among these places conducive to the spread of Covid-19 are restaurants and bars. This list also includes supermarkets and doctors offices, places of worship, and hotels. The virus is also actively circulating in schools, as well as in public and private companies (excluding health facilities). However, the risk of contamination is not only high in these places. According to a Spanish study published in the journal Environmental Research, a particular category of people would be at higher risk of contracting the virus.

For the purposes of the study, the researchers interviewed 2,086 Spaniards about their activities during the closure established from March to May. Scientists have found that dog owners have a 78% higher risk of becoming infected.

"We do not have enough information available to say if the dogs themselves are carriers of the virus, or if the owners are infected through contaminated objects, which they are more likely to handle," said Cristina Sánchez González, co-author of the study. She suggested that "the virus may be spreading in dog feces."

Can Dogs Get Covid-19 And Pass It On To Humans?

A study published last April and carried out by the Pasteur Institute and the Alfort National Veterinary School, revealed that pets are not easily infected with Covid-19, even when they are in close contact with a contaminated human.

The Medicines Agency (ANSES) said in a statement that dogs are receptive to the virus, but their sensitivity has not yet been confirmed. "Very few dogs have developed clinical signs under natural conditions in view of the very high levels of exposure to the virus (thousands of people infected with Covid-19 have been in close contact with their dog). Tests performed on contact dogs have not allowed to demonstrate the transmission of the virus between them. Currently there are no scientific data that demonstrate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from the dog to another species ", they detail.

The anti-drug gendarme reminds in any case that everyone must be attentive to certain specific situations, such as "a high concentration of animals receptive to SARS-CoV-2", to avoid "constituting, in the future, an animal reservoir favorable to the spread of the virus ". And for good reason, cases of human contamination of large mink farms have recently been reported in Denmark and the Netherlands, according to the agencys press release people with coronavirus are advised to apply barrier measures to limit risk. of infection from humans to animals, "without compromising their welfare."

Covid-19: home delivery of groceries is the most dangerous activity

The Spanish study not only found that having a dog increased the risk of infection with Covid-19 by 78%. The study results also showed that going to work instead of working from home increased the risk of contracting the virus by 76%. The researchers also found that living with a patient with the disease increases the risk of infection by 60 times. Another discovery of scientists: the most dangerous activity is the delivery of groceries to homes (94%). Therefore, receiving the delivery of the purchase at home is more risky than going to the supermarket.