The Canine Effort Against COVID

Come Christmas-time, children all over the world prepare to beg their parents for a family dog. Dogs are happy and love unconditionally, and I could list the amazing qualities of the world’s most loyal animal for days. Recently, though, dogs have given us yet another reason to be grateful for them. When coronavirus struck, researchers from Helsinki, Finland, decided to call upon our four-legged friends for aid. One of the most impressive biological blessings that dogs have is their capital sense of smell. In the past, dogs have been trained to use smell to search buildings for bombs, schools for drugs, and even use the smell of certain clothing pieces to find missing people! Now, scientists are teaching dogs to identify COVID-19. Passengers in Helsinki Airport need only wipe sweat samples from their necks – no uncomfortable swabs necessary. They place these wipes in jars, which are taken to a neighboring room, where a dog waits. In less than 10 seconds, the dog can identify if the passenger has the virus! Research in Helsinki shows that the dogs can even identify the virus before the passenger is symptomatic – they can detect COVID faster and earlier than PCR tests, which are the most widely used. We salute your courage, dogs! Thank you! 🐶