Opinion: Can cats really get or pass on COVID-19, as a report from Belgium suggests?

Should we be concerned about the coronavirus spreading to cats' Not yet, says Dr Sarah Caddy in this article for The Conversation, even after a concerning report from Belgium. After reports of two dogs testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong, the most recent news to cause alarm among animal owners is that of a cat in Belgium with apparent symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19. The owner of the cat had recently tested positive for the virus. It is reported that the cat developed breathing difficulties and diarrhoea one week later. Vets at the University of Liège, Belgium then tested the cat for SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently detected the viral genome in vomit and a stool sample. Should we now be concerned about the virus spreading to cats' To be succinct - not yet. Several key questions need to be answered before any conclusions can be drawn from this case.