Anti covid-19 dogs, first unit operational in Helsinki airport
At Helsinki Airport for a few days now it has been possible to choose an additional test to the swab: passengers who decide to join [...]
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At the Helsinki airport for the past few days it has been possible to choose an additional test to the swab: passengers who decide to join are sniffed by a "patrol" of dogs, trained to recognize the smell of coronavirus.
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The project, developed by the local university, aims to find out whether quadrupeds' sense of smell can intercept Covid-19-positive passengers. Initial data from the study are positive; indeed, it appears that the animals can recognize potential threats.
Photo credits: Finavia Corp
The procedure involves providing the passenger with a wipe to be used to wipe off sweat. The wipe is then placed in a special box and "hidden" along with others containing other samples. At this point, as in a normal drug check, the animal begins sniffing the various boxes in search of the "suspicious" substance.
In case of a positive match, the dogs are trained to attract the handler's attention and confirm the presence of a possible threat.
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There are currently four animals in training, and the aim is to see if this mode can be applied not only at the airport, but also in other situations such as hospitals, stadiums or other crowded places, where having a "quick preventive check" could mean avoiding a new cluster.
The use of dogs' sense of smell in health care settings is not new: there are animals trained to recognize the smell of diabetes or certain types of cancer. The attempt, therefore, is to see if they can also detect Covid-19. From the data collected so far in Helsinki, it would seem so. Other airports are also gearing up to have their own anti-covid dog services.
