Pets not spreading coronavirus to humans: AIIMS Director

There is no data to show that humans can contract coronavirus from their pets, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria has said.

Dr Guleria told ANI: "Though coronavirus is present in both animals and humans, there is no data to suggest that pets can spread COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 is mainly from human to human."

He further said, "Unlike the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) -- where the virus jumped from animals and became a human virus -- the novel coronavirus is now mainly a human virus and it can spread only from human to human. Chances of its spread from pets to humans are very unlikely."

"So, having pets at home is safe," he added.

Amid the current panic situation created around the spread of novel coronavirus, reports of people abandoning their pets have been doing the rounds.