Science on Coronaviruses
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to respiratory syndromes. These viruses cause disease in a variety of animal species.
History of Covid-19
The coronavirus (called Sars-CoV-2, which causes the disease Covid-19) is thought to have originated in wildlife and been passed to humans via a live animal market in Wuhan.
The pandemic has been mainly driven by human-to-human transmission.
Studies on Animals and Covid-19
In an early study by Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, it was revealed that pet cats, and even some dogs, can host the disease. The Hong Kong study, however, said cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus to humans, even if they can test positive for low levels if they catch it from their owners.
The study, published in Science was aimed at identifying which animals are vulnerable to the virus so they can be used to test experimental vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic.