Dogs Trained to Sniff Out Coronavirus

Uh, what?

Countries around the world have spent time training dogs to detect COVID-19 in humans. According to the New York Times, preliminary tests show that dogs are detecting the virus in humans at a rate that may ultimately surpass rapid antigen testing.

A dog’s nose has long been more reliable than a human’s brain, we agree on that. But who knew a dog’s nose could thump even the testing devices that airports use? 

The report explains that a dog’s nose is sensitive enough to “identify within a second the volatile organic compounds that are produced when a person with Covid-19 sheds damaged cells.” In other words, dogs are the true “experts.”

Really sucks to be a cat guy, doesn’t it?

Labradors, notably, are the focus of a study at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. France, Britain, Chile, Australia, Belgium, and Germany are among other countries looking into the dog-COVID detection. The hope is to use the dogs in crowded public spaces, such as stadiums and transportation hubs.

“Some methods of detection, like temperature screening, can’t identify infected people who have no symptoms. But dogs can, because the infected lungs and trachea produce a trademark scent. And dogs need fewer molecules to nose out Covid than are required for P.C.R. testing,” the Times notes

“For dogs, the smell is obvious, just like grilled meat for us,” Dr. Kaywalee Chatdarong of the Chulalongkorn University responds.

Well, that’s good to know.

I heard what you said as you read this finding aloud: dogs are more useful in fighting the pandemic than Dr. Fauci. Yes, that is correct.

Here are the dogs in action: