Volunteers walk Italian cats, dogs amid pandemic

A group of animal rights activists from different organizations have come together to form a Task Force for Dogs and Cats during the coronavirus pandemic in Italy.

Volunteers with masks and gloves take out for walks animals belonging to people who tested positive for coronavirus and are in isolation inside their homes.

They also take dogs out for people who have immune-suppression disorders, or people who have been admitted to the hospital.

Volunteers are cooperating with Italy's Civil Protection Agency which provides them with protective gear if they need.

They also have taken several cats to veterinary appointments and have provided food for the animals.

The global pandemic has sickened more than 2 million people, killed more than 137,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.