BEIJING: Chilling pictures of bloodied corpses of cats and dogs lying on the road have been the doing the rounds on social media following bogus claims that deadly coronavirus can be transmitted by animals.
Soon after the rumours spread, the panicked pet owners reportedly pushed the dogs and cats from the high-rise apartments.
As reported by The Sun, these innocent creatures are hurled to death following the statement by Dr Li Lanjuan on Chinese state TV that says, “If pets come into contact with suspected patients, they should be quarantined.”
The rumour spread quickly despite China Global Television Network tried to put an end to it by posting a quote from the World Health Organisation.
It read: “There is no evidence showing that pets such as cats and dogs can contract the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.”
The virus, which emerged late last year, has claimed at least 213 lives and infected thousands in China, with at least 159 deaths in Wuhan alone.
With the virus spreading to other countries, the World Health Organization has declared the crisis a global health emergency.