Dog Dies After Being Released From Coronavirus Quarantine, Possibly Because Of Anxiety

An elderly dog in Hong Kong died two days after it tested negative for coronavirus.

The 17-year-old Pomeranian was under quarantine at a government facility since Feb.26 after low levels of the virus was found in the canine’s nasal and oral cavity samples. Two tests were carried out on March 12 and 13 which proved that the canine’s samples were negative. Following this, the dog was declared disease-free and returned home Saturday. The canine died Monday.

Confirming the news, Hong Kong’s Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said, “The department learned from the dog’s owner that it had passed away on March 16. The owner said she was not willing to [allow] an autopsy to examine the cause of death.”

Vets, however, believe that the dog could have died because of the stress of being away from its owner in a quarantine facility. Meanwhile, the canine’s owner, who was hospitalized after testing positive for the virus Feb 25, has since recovered.

The World Health Organization had said there was no evidence that any pet can transmit the disease.

“While there has been one instance of a dog being infected in Hong Kong, to date, there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19,” WHO had said, adding, “COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.”