Are adorable, fluffy doggies going to be the ones to help save humanity from the global pandemic? There’s a big possibility that they are. I mean, they’ve been doing it for quite a while already, but in more of an emotional sense. But apparently, dogs are now professionally trained and they are able to sniff out COVID-19 faster than laboratory testing.
Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently, professionally trained dogs have recently started working at Helsinki airport in Finland to help detect COVID-19-infected passengers.
More info: finavia.fi
Research indicated that dogs are able to smell coronavirus with almost 100% certainty
Image credits: finavia.fi
Apparently, a research group at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Helsinki recently conducted a study whose results indicated that dogs are able to smell the virus with almost 100% certainty. Moreover, they are able to detect the virus before the symptoms have even started, which is impossible with laboratory testing.
“It’s a very promising method. Dogs are very good at sniffing,” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, a University of Helsinki professor, told Global News. “If it works, it will be a good (coronavirus) screening method at any other places.”
A passenger is asked to swipe their skin with a wipe which is then put into a jar and given to a dog
Image credits: finavia.fi
Unfortunately, taking this test doesn’t include direct contact with the dog. Apparently, those taking a test will have to swipe their skin using a test wipe and drop it into a cup. After that, the cup is given to a dog to do the sniffing job. It takes about 10 seconds for dog to sniff a sample.
According to Finavia, in the future, four dogs will work at the airport during a shift. “Dogs need to rest from time to time. While two dogs are working, the other two are on a break. The service is mainly intended for passengers arriving from outside the country,” says Susanna Paavilainen, CEO of Suomen hajuerottelu – WiseNose Ry, University of Helsinki’s DogRisk research group.
It takes about 10 seconds for dog to sniff a sample
Image credits: finavia.fi
Here’s what people think about this new COVID-19 testing method
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