Finland using COVID-sniffing dogs at Helsinki airport

Instead of getting an infamous testing swab up the nose, travelers at Finland’s Helsinki Airport will by greeted by COVID-sniffing dogs that detect infection based on scent.

The four-month trial of the alternative testing method relies on the specially-trained pups to sniff out infected travelers who swipe their skin with a wipe which is then put into a jar and given to a dog waiting in a separate booth.

It takes the dog a mere 10 seconds to sniff the virus samples before it gives the test result by scratching a paw, laying down, barking or otherwise making its conclusion known.

Travelers who are sick as a dog will be urged to take a COVID test to confirm infection.

The service is voluntary and is mainly targeted toward passengers arriving from abroad, according to a tweet from the Helsinki Airport.

Covid-19 dogs started their work today at the Helsinki Airport at arrival hall 2B. Dogs have been trained to detect the coronavirus from the test wipes given by the testperson. Service is voluntary and primarily targeted for passengers arriving from abroad. pic.twitter.com/ieMLm0KuZY

— Helsinki Airport (@HelsinkiAirport) September 22, 2020

One researcher from the University of Helsinki indicated that the furry friends can approach 100% sensitivity and can detect infection up to 5 days before the onset of symptoms, as reported in a coronavirus briefing from Johns Hopkins University.

Four dogs of different breeds trained by Finland’s Smell Detection Association started working Wednesday and the sniffer dogs previously underwent training to detect cancer, diabetes or other diseases.

The participating animals — ET, Kossi, Miina and Valo are set to work at the airport in shifts, with two on duty at a time while the other two get a break.

Finland is the second country after the United Arab Emirates — and the first in Europe — to assign man’s best friend to sniff out the coronavirus. A similar program started at Dubai International Airport over the summer.

Further research is needed to show the accuracy of this dog-sniffing method, but it could provide cheap, rapid assessment capability, particularly for high-traffic areas.

Herald wire services contributed to this report. 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/331JMOA