Dog Owners Face Higher Risk of Contracting COVID-19 Study Reveals
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 27: A man wears a protective mask while walking 6 identical dogs as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on July 27, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and entertainment, sporting events without fans and media production. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
A recent study conducted from the University of Granada claims that walking your dog increases your chances of contracting COVID-19.
Dog owners who walk their pooches are 78% more likely to come down with COVID-19. The researchers studied the behavior of 2,086 people in Spain. 41% of those surveyed were middle-aged between 40 - 54 years of age.
Although the study revealed that contraction rates are higher among dog owners there's no current indication that dog-to-human transmission is possible. The study found that there is a “higher contagion among dog owners,” more research is needed to determine whether dogs play a direct role in spreading the virus, or if it was a result of dog owners socializing. It also notes that there is no risk, as far as coronavirus goes, in owning cats or other pets.
Cristina Sanchez Gonzalez, who led the study, said, "In the midst of a pandemic and in the absence of an effective treatment or vaccine, preventive hygiene measures are the only salvation, and these measures should also be applied to dogs, which, according to our study, appear to directly or indirectly increase the risk of contracting the virus."
The study conducted by the University of Granada also revealed that accepting supermarket deliveries at home also increased the risk by 94 percent and was found to be more dangerous than actually going to the supermarket.
As for working from the office, the risk increased to 76% percent.
