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Four specially trained sniffer dogs have been at Helsinki airport since October with the aim of detecting people infected with coronavirus by smell. Interim tests from the University of Helsinki show that four-legged friends smell the virus with almost 100% certainty, even before people show symptoms.
When it comes to sniffing dogs, the Finns are pioneers.
“To our knowledge, no other airport has attempted to use the dog’s sense of smell on such a large scale against Covid-19,” said Helsinki Airport Director Ula Letiyev. Detector dogs Valo, ET, Kossi and Miina always fall in love with Diana.
The world’s most common coronavirus PCR tests have a success rate of only 70%, Ana Hilm, a scientist leading the Finnish research, told Dailymail. The four-legged friends have been used as part of a related survey since October, the results of which have yet to be released, according to APE-MPE.
The sniff test is voluntary
At Helsinki airport, these dogs are used in addition to coronavirus PCR testing. Travelers can voluntarily rub a cloth over their skin and give a sample. This cloth is given to the dog to smell in a separate room. If it reacts, for example with a bark, then there is an infection. Scientists were initially shocked because the dogs only rushed at people whose coronavirus tests came back negative. However, a few days later, people reported symptoms of coronavirus.
Coronavirus detection sniffer dogs in London and Hannover
A study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is trying to determine whether dogs can be used to detect the virus. Six quadrupeds are part of the investigation at a cost of 500,000 euros. The animals have already been trained and used successfully to smell cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Scientists now hope to be as successful as the coronavirus. “Dogs are so good at smelling the virus because the infection causes changes in the smell of the human body,” explains Professor James Logan of the London School of Hygiene. Dogs have extremely sensitive noses and therefore an excellent sense of smell. This could prove useful in addressing the pandemic.
The results of the London survey have yet to be released, but are available from the UK Department of Health as of October, according to Dailymail. The relevant ministers have yet to make a decision. Once approved, coronavirus dogs could soon be used in London. They could then be examined by four-legged friends at 250 people per hour.
A similar experiment is being carried out at the University of Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine.
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