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| A dog wears a mask at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin Port in Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 23. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
As fears of the new coronavirus continue to spread in Korea, more people have started wearing face masks.
Some people even make sure that their dogs and cats are also covered. But can they be infected with the virus and possibly pass it to their owners?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the answer is no ― at least for now.
"At present, there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus," the WHO said in a statement. "However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets. This protects you against various common bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella that can pass between pets and humans."
But Li Lanjuan, a renowned Chinese epidemiologist and a specialist on China's National Health Commission, said the possibility should not be ruled out.
Lanjuan told China Central Television, according to a China Daily translation: "If pets go out and have contact with an infected person, they have the chance to get infected. By then, pets need to be isolated. In addition to people, we should be careful with other mammals, especially pets."
The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 362 people and infected more than 17,000 as of Monday (KST). The virus was initially believed to have passed from animals to humans and later confirmed to have been transmitted between humans.
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