Hamsters and Covid...

RolyRocks · 03-29-2022, 06:47 AM

Apologies if there are already posts on this subject.

Has anyone on here tested positive for Covid and given it to their hamsters? I tested positive this morning but understand you are contagious a couple of days beforehand, even though I was testing negative. Loki, my dwarf lives in my bedroom and I'm worried I could have put him at risk. Does anyone know what the chances are of hamsters contracting the virus? I have put him in the spare room and will of course wear a mask when I'm near him.
My little man is now 25 months old which I believe is an amazing age for a dwarf and since losing a lot of weight back in January he has since put on 15gms which I am so happy about!

heidii · 03-29-2022, 07:13 AM

I looked it up and found this: "At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by SARS-CoV-2.".

It's important to note that animals do have coronaviruses of their own. Sometimes your dog or cat or hamster will get a cold. With this particular strain however, there isn't massive evidence of cross contamination.

Since COVID is also airborne, I believe that if the hamster was to get sick, it would've already. You most definitely would've been able to spread COVID before showing symptoms, and if their in your bedroom, then that's that then really.

I wouldn't be massively concerned. Even though your hamsters quite old, I think it'll come out fine. Perhaps you could keep your room ventilated or better yet, temporarily move the cage out of your room entirely.

Lilafernim · 03-29-2022, 07:25 AM

That’s messed up if they’re saying that now because at the start of the pandemic they killed 17 million minks saying they’d pass on Covid to us. Honestly at the time I was just angry since I didn’t see any evidence they were spreading it specifically and keep them in confined areas then to control the spread don’t kill them. Then I remembered how poor little minks are literally raised and killed for their fur so maybe it stopped all that happening.

Here'''s why Denmark culled 17 million minks and now plans to dig up their buried bodies. The Covid mink crisis, explained

Also didn’t they originally say all this started with a bat, so long ago now!

Lilafernim · 03-29-2022, 07:40 AM

Maybe not the place to post this but apparently they’ve done it again recently with hamsters.

Pets and COVID-19: Experts say vigilance needed but risks small | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera

I personally think this is awful and I know I’m not a virologist but animals are normally capable of carrying diseases and often don’t react to them in the same way as us.

Especially now as already said, this is an airborne virus. Less people are wearing masks and people are vaccinated so either you’ll have a natural immunity or a synthetic immunity to it. It even says on the report hamsters don’t get the same symptoms and literally culling them to stop the spread when I think proper confinement and controlled conditions would also be fine instead of killing!

Sorry rant over, from what it said anyway if your hamster does catch it the symptoms won’t be as bad as in humans. The concern is their spread onto us so just wash hands for handling but you should have some immunity built up by now.

Also, only some Syrian species caught it, dwarfs residing next to them didn’t catch it so there should be no concerns anyway.

Ria P · 03-29-2022, 07:42 AM

We both had covid recently with a lot of symptoms and dwarf Gertie continued to live in our bedroom. We currently have 8 hamsters so we are always in close proximity of one sniffing nose or another. We kept to basic hygiene like handwashing but i still carried the hamsters around to get them from cage to playareas. I didn't let them near my face and didn't breathe, sneeze or cough on them and kept physical interaction to a minimum. They are all fine so i think that the chances of a hamster catching it from us is minimal. And yes, i aired the house by opening the windows when the hamsters were tucked away in their nests.

What i'm saying is that, if covid were easy to pass on to a hamster then one of ours would probably have caught it.

Personally, i'd leave Loki in your bedroom if a change of location would upset him. If he's not bothered by it then yes, it wouldn't do any harm to keep him in the spare room.

Petite · 03-29-2022, 07:44 AM

Try not to worry too much, RolyRocks. I've just had Covid too and my hamsters didn't catch it from me, although you might ask someone else to feed Loki while you are testing positive and, as has been mentioned, put the cage somewhere else temporarily.
I was feeding my two for almost a week after showing symptoms (but testing negative), then asked OH to take over when I had a positive PCR, just to be on the safe side. They both seem well and happy.

RolyRocks · 03-29-2022, 07:59 AM

Thank you everyone, I feel a little bit better now knowing none of your little guys have caught it. I will keep him in the spare room tonight but if he appears stressed in any way I will bring him back into my room and of course be extra careful.

heidii · 03-29-2022, 09:58 AM

It definitely is terrible with how many animals that have been culled for COVID. Minks and hamsters have been culled, alongside other animals like sharks! Sharks have been killed for COVID vaccines because of their squalene.

I think it is such an odd debate, and you need to know where you draw the line on these things. I don't agree with endangering shark populations any further, to be fair.