COVID-19 and the National Parks: People, Animals and the Environment

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The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, was first discovered in December 2019. It has since infected millions of people and caused more than 1 million deaths in the United States alone — and it has also turned up in pets, zoo animals, farmed mink and wild deer. The National Park Service's health guide, written for employees, volunteers, commercial operators and visitors, looks at the disease through people, animals and the environment together.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19

An illustration of SARS-CoV-2. Credit: Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins, CDC.

The basics


People	The virus spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles, which others breathe in or which land in their eyes, nose or mouth. Symptoms appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, usually in the airways, sometimes severe. Older adults and people with certain underlying conditions are at higher risk of severe disease, and some people have symptoms that last a long time ("long COVID").
Animals	People can pass the virus to animals during close contact, but it rarely makes animals seriously ill. Infections have been documented in cats and dogs; zoo animals such as big cats, gorillas and otters; farmed mink; and free-ranging wildlife such as deer. Animals have occasionally infected people through close contact, but rarely. Invertebrates, birds, reptiles and amphibians are unlikely hosts.
Environment	The virus can survive hours to days on some contaminated surfaces, but catching COVID-19 from surfaces is unlikely; standard cleaning and disinfection are recommended. There is no evidence that it spreads through food or drinking water, and no known illness from treated or untreated wastewater.

Prevention

Among people, CDC recommends:

staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines;
improving ventilation and spending time outdoors;
getting tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed;
staying home when sick and avoiding contact with people who have or may have COVID-19;
considering masks and physical distancing.

Between people and animals, CDC recommends:

minimizing contact with pets if you are sick;
keeping your family and pets a safe distance from wildlife and their droppings, and not feeding wildlife;
following your state wildlife agency's guidance on preparing and eating legally harvested game — there is no evidence that food spreads COVID-19, and CDC has considerations for hunters;
for wildlife handlers, using the hierarchy of controls and CDC and U.S. Geological Survey guidance on safe work with wildlife.

If you are exposed or sick

Take precautions after an exposure, and isolate if you are sick or diagnosed; CDC's isolation and exposure calculator can help.
If you test positive and are more likely to get very sick, ask a health care provider about treatment; the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response's locator lists places to get tested and treated.
Avoid pets and other animals, including wildlife, while you are sick, and call a veterinarian if you think your pet has COVID-19.
Report sick or dead wildlife to the park's resource manager and the Park Service's Wildlife Health Branch.

Park Service employees follow the Department of the Interior's workplace safety plan.