[Rumor x Truth] Dogs Infected with COVID-19? Should Animals Also Wear 'Masks'?

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] According to the Hong Kong government recently, a pet dog (Pomeranian breed) of a confirmed COVID-19 patient was infected with COVID-19. As a result, concerns among pet owners have increased, drawing attention to whether pets should also wear masks to prevent COVID-19.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong announced on the 4th (local time) that several COVID-19 diagnostic tests conducted on the Pomeranian pet dog all showed weak positive results. Since the 28th of last month, Hong Kong has implemented a measure to quarantine all pets of confirmed COVID-19 patients for 14 days. Experts affiliated with universities who reviewed this case and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) agreed that there is a high possibility of transmission between humans and animals, AFCD reported. However, it is known that the infected pet dog did not show COVID-19 symptoms.

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that there was no evidence that pets such as dogs or cats could be infected with COVID-19, but after this case occurred, the WHO said, "We are cooperating with Hong Kong authorities and others to accurately determine whether the pet dog was actually infected with COVID-19 or if it was contaminated by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces."

This case has also increased concerns among pet owners. In fact, even before pet infections occurred, many pet owners worldwide had been putting masks on their pets to prevent infection amid the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. pet dog mask company K9 Mask saw its sales surge by 300% after the outbreak of COVID-19, and sales of pet dog masks on the Chinese online shopping mall Taobao increased tenfold.

Similarly, in South Korea, Gmarket reported that from January 17, when COVID-19 began to spread in earnest, until February 2, sales of pet dog masks surged by more than 4800% compared to the same period last year.

But are masks really necessary for pets? Jane Gray, chief veterinarian of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Hong Kong, said, "Pet masks are practically meaningless. They only cause stress to animals." She explained, "The coronavirus that infects dogs and cats does not cause respiratory diseases," and added, "Instead of putting masks on them, it is sufficient to wipe the paws with disinfectant wipes after walking the dog."

She also said, "The quarantine of pets of confirmed COVID-19 patients is a preventive measure, so ordinary pet owners do not need to worry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.