When you are home, sick with the cold or flu, cuddling with your dog or cat may just be the thing to do. That’s because, says research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, pets won’t catch or spread human viruses.
“The pet is a comfort, not a hazard,” says Dr William Schaffner, professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Even somebody who pets the dog or cat after you is unlikely to catch your virus that way, and you can’t get a cold or the flu from your dog or cat.” The true hazard in catching a virus, according to him, comes from fellow two-legged creatures.
“People should wash their hands often and use hand sanitiser,” Schaffner adds. He also suggests that when flu is rampant in the community, greet friends with an elbow bump rather than a handshake.
But people and their pets have one in common: The best way to avoid getting sick is to be immunised – with pets it’s their annual vaccinations, and with people it’s a flu shot.
The difference is, Schaffner notes, people don’t get a shiny tag to wear showing that they are up-to-date on immunisations!
Comments are closed.