
Tiger at US zoo tests positive for coronavirus - OrgNet
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52177586
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ComputerGuru
For context, the evidence-based consensus as of now is that felines (including
pet cats) can catch covid-19 from humans and then transmit it to other cats
and maybe other humans, but they are not as susceptible to catching it as
humans are. It takes a massive initial viral load for your cat to catch it
from you and it will develop only a mild expression of the coronavirus. Dogs
do not seem to catch it, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t tested positive
due to second-hand exposure/contamination (from licking their human friends).

Note that the original SARS was likely transmitted to humans from its original
hosts via a feline intermediary, so scientists were not at all surprised by
these findings as the similarities between the two SARS are very high.

So it’s not a big surprise that tigers can catch it too.

~~~
koheripbal
To be clear, there is no good data on either of those assertions.

The important takeaway here is that this Coronavirus, and likely others, will
have persistent animal reservoirs that make humans endemically exposed to it.

...which means that even after a vaccination campaign, the virus will still be
endemic to the population. ie. It's not going away.

...what more worrying is that Coronaviruses have a tendency of re-infecting
patients and have dwindling immune response in people (source=TWIV podcast
from April 3rd). ...which worryingly means that we may need regular
vaccinations against covid-19 forever.

~~~
Jommi
however, evolution theory is on our side. With the virus going through
mutations it will end being less deadly as time goes on )as a general rule=.
It makes sense: Deadlier versions of the virus die away when they kill their
host. Healthy mutations infect more people.

~~~
koheripbal
Coronaviruses with error correction in their RNA replication mechanisms, like
covid-19, do not mutate very much.

This is different from Influenza which easily shifts its RNA sequence and this
requires new yearly vaccinations / and avoids immunity in humans.

~~~
Jommi
So then that means that likely immunization duration will be long and vaccine
cycle less dense? That's positive isn't it?

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xiaolingxiao
For someone who understand how viruses target hosts, if a tiger can contract
cvoid-19, does this mean house cats can as well?

~~~
fooker
Yes. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/cats-can-
infec...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/cats-can-infect-each-
other-with-coronavirus-chinese-study-finds)

[https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/asia/coronavirus-animals-
pets...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/asia/coronavirus-animals-pets-
trnd/index.html)

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Leary
"Nadia, her sister Azul, as well as two Amur tigers and three African lions,
had developed a dry cough and all are expected to fully recover, it says. "

How do they know the prognosis?

I hope they physically distance these big cats from their keepers.

~~~
ComputerGuru
The nature of the cough and its progression tells you a lot, especially if you
can tell respiratory symptoms have peaked. That said, acute respiratory
distress is the primary means by which people are dying of this disease; you
can easily test for the presence of severe symptoms if “patient is able to
breathe unassisted” is insufficient for some reason. The lower respiratory
issues can be seen quite easily on a simple x-ray.

In all cases, it’s been documented to have very mild manifestations in felines
in laboratory autopsies of infected and euthanized housecats and that is
probably a factor in their confidence.

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dpcan
When the first Cow or Chicken gets it - then I'm going to freak out.

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moneytide1
"Tiger" and "coronavirus" are both buzzwords right now (new Tiger television
show promotion). BBC click farming is understandable now that citizens are
expected to be parsing their RSS feeds more often than usual (mandatory
quarantine idling worker minds).

This is unfortunate because I expected these recently inflicted conditions to
prompt temporarily mothballed bodies and minds to pursue interests outside of
the digital realm.

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ineedasername
Tigers' body temperatures are naturally slightly hotter. Maybe this means they
can endure higher fevers and thus fight off the virus a little more easily--
from what I recall reading, corona-viruses from bats often are resistant to
lower fevers because they've developed in bats, which are also slightly higher
in body temperature, especially in flight.

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jimmydddd
It's interesting that tigers have access to the test.

~~~
PragmaticPulp
> It's interesting that tigers have access to the test.

It's a misconception that there is just one test. There are numerous tests
available, some of which are from private companies still awaiting official
approval to test humans in the United States.

Testing capacity has also caught up demand in most (though not all) locations,
as shown by the testing rate leveling off. This isn't like the early days
where tests were so scarce that they were being rationed, although many
logistical bottlenecks still remain.

Some institutions are now opting not to test people unless it would alter the
response or treatment plan in some way.

~~~
beerandt
>Some institutions are now opting not to test people unless it would alter the
response or treatment plan in some way.

Everyone that I've spoken to (on the front lines) has said that this is what's
been the hospital standard since day 1, regardless of what official protocols
say. Not because of testing capacity, but because of the additional ppe wasted
that's required to administer a test.

Unless you've got low O2 levels and will imminently need breathing assistance,
you're getting sent home without a test and orders to self quarantine.

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vl
I guess we now have enough tests for humans if we have them for tigers.

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Willson50
Tigers are more expensive.

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vl
Haven’t you watched Tiger King? Turns out tigers are very cheap to acquire and
to the tune of $10000 a year to maintain.

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thewileyone
Did Joe Exotic have a conjugal visit?

