Skip to main content

COVID-19 Safety for People and Pets

Rhoda Chang MD Community Health & Wellness

We made it to Summer 2021! What a joy it is to feel the warmth of the sun, relish the tastes and sensations of summertime in North Carolina and see the light near the end of a long pandemic tunnel. Many of us have been sequestered in our homes and cautious about enjoying daily life. While there is continued uncertainty around us, hope remains that normalcy will return.

Here, I will share a few common concerns about our health and safety in the fight against COVID-19 and reveal what’s fact and what’s fiction.

FACT OR FICTION? I can usually tell the difference between COVID-19 infection and other viral infections.

FICTION. Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe and generally begin 2-14 days after being exposed to the virus. Someone with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • fever and chills
  • a cough
  • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • muscle or body aches
  • headache
  • sore throat
  • new loss of taste or smell
  • congestion or runny nose
  • nausea or vomiting
  • diarrhea

Although COVID-19 is a new disease, it belongs to a family of coronaviruses that usually cause illnesses like the common cold.

FACT OR FICTION? Most children with COVID-19 infection have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

FACT. While the statement above is true, they can still spread the disease to others. In addition, severe COVID-19 illness and deaths have been reported in children under one year old and those with underlying health conditions may be more likely to develop severe illness.

Here are a few things you can do to keep your family healthy:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Look for one that is 60% or higher alcohol-based. Avoid making your own hand sanitizer. If made incorrectly, it can burn the skin.
  • Reduce close contact with others by practicing physical distancing. This means staying home as much as possible and avoiding groups. If you do need to run an errand like going to the grocery store or pharmacy for your family, the CDC recommends wearing a face mask.
  • Teach kids to cough and sneeze into a tissue (make sure to throw it away after each use!) or to cough and sneeze into their arm or elbow, not their hands.
  • Avoid touching your face; teach your children to do the same.
  • Clean and disinfect your home as usual using regular household cleaning sprays or wipes.
  • Wash stuffed animals or other plush toys, following manufacturer’s instructions in the warmest water possible and dry them completely.
  • Follow local and state guidance on travel and stay at home restrictions.
  • Get COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they become available to your family. Vaccines are now authorized for adults and adolescents age 12 and up. Clinical trials for vaccines given to younger children and infants still need to be completed.

FACT OR FICTION? I can give COVID-19 to my pet.

FACT. After close contact with people with COVID 19, and based on the information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.

The virus that causes COVID-19 can spread from people to animals including pets in some situations, mostly during close contact.

If a person inside the household becomes sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including pets and other animals.

To protect pets from the virus:

  • Pet owners and every eligible person in the household should get vaccinated.
  • People with COVID-19 should not have contact with pets.
  • Pet owners should not allow pets to have contact with unvaccinated people outside the household, if possible.

FACT OR FICTION? My dog could spread COVID-19 infection.

FICTION. There is no evidence that the virus can spread to people from the skin, fur, or hair of pets. Do not wipe or bathe your pet with chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or other products, such as hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes, or other industrial or surface cleaners. Talk to your veterinarian​ if you have questions about appropriate products for bathing or cleaning your pet​​. The risk of pets spreading COVID-19 to people is low. Do not put masks on pets; masks could harm your pet.

Do you have concerns about COVID-19? Vaccination is our strongest weapon in the fight against COVID-19.

WakeMed is accepting appointments:

  • Saturday, August 21 (8 am to 2 pm) & Sunday, August 22 (2 to 5 pm) – Pfizer dose 1 for people age 12+ and single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for people age 18+

Please use WakeMed MyChart to schedule your appointment. Visit www.wakemed.org if you need to set up a MyChart account for yourself or your child.  You or your child do not need to be a WakeMed patient to set up a MyChart account.

If these dates / times are not convenient for you, please contact your primary care provider or see the multiple Wake County vaccination sites established with walk-in capabilities.   Vaccine – Wake County COVID-19 Information (wakegov.com)

Sources

This information is referenced to information from the CDC and the AAP.

Share