Coronavirus and Pets

Pawfect Day-Preparations

By now, your news feed has been inundated with the coronavirus (COVID-19). We want to take precautionary measures, while we continue to learn more about it.

Unfortunately, the current numbers of cases are not reflecting the actual cases, due to the lag of testing kits in the United States.

According to CareMount Medical, the number of confirmed cases is almost certain to rise in our region over the next several weeks as verified testing becomes more available. As of a couple of days ago, no physician offices had the ability to test for COVID-19. The test could only be done by NYS and CDC.

The overall risk of serious illness from COVID-19 is low. Most patients who are infected will have mild upper respiratory symptoms including fever, nasal congestion and cough. A minority of patients can however develop pneumonia and some of these will require hospitalization.  A small proportion of these patients will sadly have a fatal case. Those at greatest risk for this are our elderly and those with chronic medical conditions such as COPD, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Parents – it is natural to worry for our young ones, but so far the data appears to show that the overwhelming majority of children have a mild upper respiratory illness, or no illness at all from this virus.

Since the illness is predominantly spread between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, it is imperative that we all practice vigilant proper hygiene.

Prevention

As of now, it is believed that the virus cannot be passed onto your pet. However, we do recommend the following steps.

-Wipe your dogs paws after each walk.

-Wash your hands after using public transportation. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds.

-Importantly, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

-Disinfect doorknobs regularly.

-Keep your immune system strong by including Vitamins, rest and antioxidants.

-Cover coughs and sneezes with the crook of your arm.

-Teach your children proper hygiene practices as well.

-Forgo shaking hands with people this winter – they will understand.

-If you have risks based on travel or exposure, you can elect to stay home for 14 days after your exposure. If you become ill, you should stay at home, unless you become severely ill and or develop shortness of breath. If you become severely ill, call 911 as above.

How our company is preparing for it.

We are educating our staff on hygiene and distributing disinfectant wipes to all Pet Caregivers so they can also help wipe down doorknobs after their visits.

Small Businesses Affected

Chinese businesses are the most affected right now. This is due to fear. Let’s continue to educate ourselves, practice kindness and support small businesses, who are suffering due to a lack of correct information.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters

World Health Organization

Resource: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#spreads