You can actually get the aura from your cat

It has been proven time and time again that people can transmit the coronavirus to their cats. As early as March 2020, researchers from the University of Liège described the first issue†

But the opposite, that the cat infects humans, has not been shown before. Until now.

Thai researchers He investigated the special case of a 64-year-old man and his 32-year-old son. Test results were positive in August last year in the capital, Bangkok. With no hospital beds available, they traveled 900 kilometers in an ambulance with their cat. The cat slept in the same bed as the patients.

Three veterinarians examined the cat upon its arrival. The cat cut its nose and sneezed in the face of a vet. Moments later, the vet developed a fever, runny nose, and cough. It turned out that she had corona.

The cat also had a lot of virus in its nose, as it turned out later. Once it was learned that the cat tested positive, she was allowed to join her owners in the hospital. Together with one of the patients, the cat was allowed to leave the hospital again.

† Graspop appears to be a source of coronary infection

All human contacts were veterinarian tested by contact tracing. Only one of them had coronavirus, but it wasn’t even the same type of virus. Additionally, the vet contracted surrogate was not in circulation in the Thai province where she lives and works.

Genetic analysis revealed that the vet had contracted the same strain of virus as the two men and the cat. Since the vet has never met the two men, the conclusion is: It must be the cat.

Virologist Stephen van Gucht (Scensano) is not surprised. It’s the first time this has been shown, but to me it’s clear. If you can find the virus in the nose, the animal is also likely to be able to transmit the virus.

For an animal to infect humans with the Corona virus, no one should bring any of its milk. If that wasn’t possible, we wouldn’t know of a pandemic in recent years.

Mink, hamster and deer

Outside earlier Analytics It turns out that many mammals can be infected with the virus, because they have the receptors that the virus targets. But the list of animals for which animal-to-human transmission has already been documented is a short one at the moment. mink I passed the virus in Holland, hamster in Hong Kong and Spinner in Canada. A Thai cat has now been added to that list.

Cats appear to be more sensitive to corona infection than other pets. Dogs can also be infected, but the virus replicates slowly in dogs. An experiment has shown that cats can also infect other cats.

The study authors say that although it now appears that cats can infect humans, it is likely not a major route of transmission. Cats get rid of the virus for less time. In every epidemic it is a diverse reality. Dissemination among people remains the most important route, says Van Guchte.

But spreading the virus from animals to humans is potentially dangerous. If viruses spread in animals, they can mutate into a new species. By jumping into humans, a new variant potentially dangerous to humans could be introduced. For this reason mink were slaughtered en masse in Holland and Denmark. This is less important with cats, as they are somewhat solitary animals. But it spreads smoothly among North American deer. An animal reservoir has been set up there, says Van Gucht.

The researchers drew two lessons from their case study. The first lesson is that veterinarians should also wear a face shield when examining animals that may have corona. The vet wore an FFP2 face mask and gloves. You may have contracted the infection through eye fluid.

The second lesson is that people who (maybe) have coronavirus should stay away from their cat. Kissing your pet or letting them lick your face is definitely not a good idea. Don’t let the animal sleep with you, says van Guchte.

One author said people should take extra precautions if they suspect their cats have been infected temper nature† “They should not abandon their cat, but they should treat it with extra care.”