The Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) this week released an evidence check on whether domestic animals can be infected by, and spread, COVID-19.
The good news currently no evidence exists that pets transmit COVID-19 to humans.
Researchers have seen isolated incidents of domestic animals, mainly cats and dogs, testing positive for the virus. In most of these cases, pet owners have been COVID-19 positive.
Infected animals do sometimes show symptoms, although there are some reports of asymptomatic disease.
Fortunately, pets don't appear to be highly vulnerable to COVID-19 – with studies showing that, even in areas with many human cases, fewer than four per cent of dogs and cats were infected.
Read the evidence check 'COVID-19 infection and transmission in domestic animals' via the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) website.
