CDC updates coronavirus guidelines to include pets and animals

The Center for Disease Control has updated its coronavirus guidelines to include animals and pets.

The United States continues to try and cope with a new normal, while attempting to follow along with CDC guildelines, as well as state-mandated orders and restrictions. This ever-evolving concern and risk of exposure have changed the way we interact with the world.

Now, after animals in the US have been shown to be capable of contracting the coronavirus, those CDC guidelines include mention and comment regarding pets and animals.

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The first case of contracted coronavirus in an animal stateside was a tiger at the New York City Zoo. The CDC said that the risk that household pets are carrying or can carry the disease remains low, but it is existent.

“Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) are examples of diseases caused by coronaviruses that originated in animals and spread to people,” writes the CDC.

The World Organization for Animal Health has reported multiple cases of cats and dogs contracting the disease. However, the CDC said there is no current evidence that animals can pass the virus onto humans.

“Treat pets as you would other human family members – do not let pets interact with people or animals outside the household,” reads the update from the CDC. “If a person inside the household becomes sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including pets.”

For now, the CDC said that more study is needed to determine how infectious animal-carried versions of the coronavirus can be.