Helsinki Airport will use dogs to sniff out COVID-19 after encouraging trials. If the pilot program is successful, we may see such a testing regime expand far beyond Finland and replace the need for more conventional testing.
Helsinki Airports Deploys COVID-19 Dogs
Preliminary testing at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Helsinki indicated dogs can identify COVID-19 with near 100% accuracy. Furthermore, while a PCR (swab) test needs about 18,000,000 molecules in order to identify the virus, a dog needs only 10-100 molecules. The practical result is not only more accurate testing, but the ability to identify coronavirus days before symptoms start.
Dogs will not be roaming the terminals sniffing guests at random. Instead, dogs will be used to screen incoming international passengers during the first phase of the trial. There will be no direct contact with travelers in order to avoid potentially infecting the dog’s handlers. Travelers will swipe whir skin with a wipe, then place it into a cup. In a separate booth, the dog will sniff the sample. Results will take mere minutes, though it depends upon the dog.
To begin, 16 dogs will split the day into four shifts. Finavia, the airport operator, has contracted with a company called WiseNose to supply the trained dogs. Over time, customs dogs already onsite may be trained to perform this work.
CONCLUSION
Helsinki Airport in Finland has begun using dogs to sniff out coronavirus. The new process has the potential to be faster and more accurate than PCR testing. Could such canine screening soon be standard at airports around the world? Helsinki will be an exciting trial to watch.
2020 has gone to the dogs.
So now dogs can sniff viruses?
So are the dogs smelling the virus or some compound secreted onto the skin when people are sick? Can they tell the difference between coronavirus and other viruses? Can we get a herpes-sniffing dog? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have them smell nasal swabs instead of skin swabs?
This is absolutely incredible.
Dear little creatures. They help us in so many ways. These ones should get free air travel as part of the deal.
Are dogs immune to the virus? What if the virus mutates within the animal into a more problematic strain?
The dogs have already found the first infected travellers. It is unclear what exactly the dogs can smell as they seem to be able to detect the infection at very early stage. What the dogs are smelling is a sweat sample from the person’s neck.
I’m excited for the possibilities this may bring to travel and to aid in the broader fight against coronavirus.
According to the BBC story, they can detect 5 days before people become symptomatic. Of course it’s not entirely new: dogs are used to detect breast, bladder and prostate cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, malaria, E. coli and other medical conditions.
Rats ( large African bush breed) are being used to detect and identify land mines and other UXBs in Cambodia; one of them was given a bravery award for service just today, prior to his imminent retirement.