Coronavirus: ‘very unlikely’ Hong Kong dog that tested positive died from Covid-19, source says, citing old age, underlying illnesses
- The Pomeranian, quite old by the breed’s standards, was suffering from other underlying illnesses even before its ‘weak positive’ test
- Despite no evidence dogs can transmit the virus, one pet advocacy group said they had seen an uptick in the abandonment of small dogs in the past month
The Hong Kong dog found to be infected with the coronavirus likely did not die from it, a medical source has told the Post, pointing out the Pomeranian in question was both old and suffering from underlying illnesses.
But news of the dog’s “weak positive” infection, the first reported for a pet, has gone viral to the degree that one animal concern group fears it could be responsible for a jump in the number of abandoned dogs.
The 17-year-old pet, which belonged to a now-recovered Covid-19 patient, had been under mandatory quarantine at a government facility since February 26, before being returned home on Saturday.
Three days later, the owner reported its death to authorities. While the owner declined to allow an autopsy, questions were immediately raised as to whether the virus had caused the dog’s death.
One medical source familiar with the case told the Post that was very unlikely.