JINJU, Feb. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s first kitten infected with COVID-19 has been released from quarantine.
The 3-month-old kitten, which tested positive during the coronavirus epidemiological investigation of a mass outbreak in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, was released from quarantine last Wednesday.
The kitten is one of three pet kittens owned by a mother and her daughter, both of whom were infected with the coronavirus.
After testing positive for COVID-19 on January 21, the kitten was kept in a safety facility in Jinju for 14 days before it was released.
There were no separate guidelines for animal quarantine when the kitten tested positive for the coronavirus, so authorities applied guidelines designed for humans.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters soon developed guidelines for animals infected with the coronavirus following instructions from the Prime Minister on January 24.
A 14-day quarantine was the requirement for the kitten to be released. The kitten did not show any signs of illness, and was released without a separate test.
Image Credit: Jinju Public Health Center / Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
