Cats Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Can Recover

The U.S. CDC published an Early Release Letter, Volume 27, Number 2, on January 7, 2021, which concluded stating: the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus readily transmits between domestic cats. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, infect only animals and do not infect people.

These researchers found that domestic cats that recover from an initial virus infection might be protected from reinfection. However, they found long-term persistence of inflammation and other lung lesions after infection, despite a lack of clinical symptoms and limited viral replication in the lungs.

In conclusion, 'SARS-CoV-2 was replicated effectively in the upper respiratory tract in cats, and infectious virus was cleared from the lungs within 6 days of infection; however, histopathologic examination demonstrated chronic lung sequelae in cats even a month after viral clearance. After initial infection with SARS-CoV-2, cats were protected from reinfection, with no virus replication in respiratory organs and no additional lung damage.'

Previously, on January 6, 2021, the CDC stated, 'At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be-low.'