Detector dogs at airports
Sniffer dogs are a common sight at airports in this age of heightened security and an increase of organised crime. These dogs are trained to detect money, explosives, drugs and other hazardous and restricted substances using their highly developed sense of smell. Dogs have far more olfactory receptors, 220 million of them, and “see” their world through their sense of smell.
Away from airports medical detection dogs can warn of the onset of a diabetic hypo and prevent a diabetic coma. They can detect some cancers, malaria and warn of an impending heart attack. They are even being used to detect early stages of Alzheimer’s. Science has shown that respiratory diseases change a person’s body odour and this can be detected by sniffer dogs.
Covid-19 sniffer dogs
This ability to “smell” diseases is being used to detect Covid-19. Although it is still in its early experimental stage there has been a high incidence of correct positive results, even in people who are asymptomatic. So much so that the UAE have already deployed sniffer dogs trained to detect Covid-19 at Dubai International Airport. In Finland they are conducting a trial with sniffer dogs at Helsinki Airport. The UK government is funding research and trials into whether sniffer dogs can be used to detect Covid-19.
Quicker, more accurate detection
Across the globe national authorities are training Covid-19 detector dogs. Dogs already trained to “sniff” out illegal substances and/or medical conditions are being retrained to detect Covid-19. Trained bio detection dogs can be retrained in a matter of minutes. It takes a dog 0.5 seconds to detect the virus which is far quicker than current tests. There active training programmes and research being conducted in U.A.E, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Finland, Belgium, Australia and the UK
Medical detection dogs are now being trained to detect people with Covid-19 with greater accuracy than other tests and with greater speed. The real game-changer is the dogs ability to detect Covid-19 in people who are asymptomatic or have yet to develop symptoms.
Could we see introduction of Covid-19 sniffer dogs at major transport hubs? Would this mean the end of quarantine? What are your thoughts on this?
