The first known dog to test positive for the coronavirus has reportedly died in Hong Kong after apparently recovering from the disease, according to local media.
The pooch, a 17-year-old Pomeranian dog, passed away this Monday after being returned home to its owner following a government quarantine and a negative test for the virus, the South China Morning Post reported.
Did the dog die of coronavirus?
It was learned from the dog’s owner that it had passed away on March 16. The owner said she was not willing to [allow] an autopsy to examine the cause of death. The dog had repeatedly been tested during its quarantine. A total of five tests from its nasal and oral samples all returned “weak positive” results for the virus. It was not until the two tests – carried out on March 12 and 13 – proved the dog’s samples were negative that the department allowed it to leave the centre and return home.