According to MSDSOnline, various animals including guinea pigs have been infected through intranasal injections in lab tests. The virus is spread by significant prolonged contact with an infected person or significant exposure to nasal mucus with contaminated hands. The virus can live on dry surfaces for 2 to 30 hours depending on temp and humidity.
The usual precaution when there are viruses is thorough hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, cover sneezes using the inside of your elbow and not your hands, keep hands away from your face. I wash my hands before I handle my guinea pig because I also have a dog. There is a type of bordatella that is contagious from healthy dogs to guinea pigs. Some nurses I know change clothes before they hug their children when they come home from work. That might be a good idea as well if people at work are sick.
