Tigers in Swedish zoo were euthanized after being infected with COVID-19 virus. Can cats transmit viruses to people?

According to the Russian website, on June 26th, 654381,a tigress 17 years old was infected with COVID-19 virus and had to be euthanized.

According to reports, this is the first case of COVID-19 virus infection in a cat in Sweden. Doctors think it may have been infected by zoo staff, because many animals have symptoms of infection, and three of them have been diagnosed as sick. Not only tigers can infect COVID-19, but also domestic cats can infect COVID-19. CNN reported that in early March, a Belgian woman was diagnosed with novel coronavirus and passed it on to her pet cat. Although this domestic cat has respiratory symptoms, and its vomit and feces contain a lot of viruses, researchers are still not sure whether this cat is infected with COVID-19 virus or other diseases. Last year, domestic cats and other cats in many countries were infected with COVID-19 virus. Therefore, many people worry that if the cat is infected with COVID-19, will novel coronavirus re-infect humans?

Although humans can transmit novel coronavirus to cats, experts agree that there is little chance that cats will transmit novel coronavirus to humans. Clinical researchers at Cambridge University awarded Sarah Katie that there is no evidence that large or small cats can re-transmit the new coronavirus to humans. However, some experts suggest that patients diagnosed in COVID-19 should avoid contact with gamme until they know more about coronavirus. Although the probability of transmission to pets in novel coronavirus is extremely low, this situation should also be avoided.

Jacques Norris, a professor at Sydney Veterinary College of the University of Sydney, said that even if a family member is infected with COVID-19 virus, it is necessary to avoid contact with any family member, including pets. Therefore, no matter whether cats will infect human novel coronavirus again, as long as they have contact with infected people in COVID-19, they should feel safe and do a good job of self-protection and self-prevention.