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Dogs in the UK are being taught how to smell coronavirus, with scientists hopeful they could become an important tool in the fight against COVID-19.
Diseases and viruses subtly change the way people smell, and dogs are already able to sniff out malaria, Parkinson's diseases and cancer in humans.
Now dogs at the Medical Detection Dogs' facility in north-west of London are being trialled for their efficacy of picking up the scent of coronavirus.
Now dogs at the Medical Detection Dogs' facility in north-west of London are being trialled for their efficacy of picking up the scent of coronavirus. (A Current Affair)
Professor James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is one of the researchers leading the first phase of the trial and said the study will use Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and Labradoodles.
"These dogs have an incredibly good sense of smell, it's ridiculously good in comparison to ours and even some of the machines we have in our labs," the professor told A Current Affair.
The dogs' smell is so strong they can detect tiny traces of disease odour the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Researchers are even hopeful the dogs will be able to smell the virus before symptoms develop.
Dogs in the UK are being taught how to smell coronavirus, with scientists hopeful they could become an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. (A Current Affair)
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For the study, samples will be taken from almost a thousand people in the UK. Three hundred will have COVID-19, while 600 won't. None will have symptoms. Odour samples will be collected from their face masks and nylon socks. The dogs will then be taught to sift through background smells like cologne, perfumes and cosmetics to pinpoint the distinctive virus scent.
With a vaccine 12 to 18 months away, the purpose of training detection dogs will be to prevent a second wave of infections once countries reopen for business and travel.
Professor Logan says the dogs will be used at airports and train stations to screen passengers coming in from high-risk nations.
"Each dog can screen up to 250 people per hour. You've seen dogs doing this at airports for drugs and explosives. We know they can detect diseases, if they can detect COVID-19 they could be screening people coming into airports," he said.
The Australian Border Force has confirmed it's working with the UK Home Office and those carrying out the trial. If it's a success, COVID-19 detector dogs could be used at our borders too. (A Current Affair)
The Australian Border Force has confirmed it's working with the UK Home Office and those carrying out the trial. If it's a success, COVID-19 detector dogs could be used at our borders too.
A similar trial is also underway in northern France with a research team teaching search and rescue dogs from the Seine-et-Marne Fire Brigade to recognise a COVID-19 patient's scent through sweat samples. So far, the dogs in the trial have had a good strike rate, sniffing out 86 per cent of positive cases.
Results from the UK trail are expected by September.
While detection dog screenings won't replace clinical testing - it may provide a new layer of biosecurity with cases identified, tested, treated and isolated quickly. "I think it could help us get back to some sort of normality a little bit quicker," professor Logan said.
The dogs' smell is so strong they can detect tiny traces of disease odour the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools. (A Current Affair)
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-...n-the-uk/1c3c1035-6c9a-4bde-b3c6-c9a469339487
Diseases and viruses subtly change the way people smell, and dogs are already able to sniff out malaria, Parkinson's diseases and cancer in humans.
Now dogs at the Medical Detection Dogs' facility in north-west of London are being trialled for their efficacy of picking up the scent of coronavirus.
Now dogs at the Medical Detection Dogs' facility in north-west of London are being trialled for their efficacy of picking up the scent of coronavirus. (A Current Affair)
Professor James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is one of the researchers leading the first phase of the trial and said the study will use Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and Labradoodles.
"These dogs have an incredibly good sense of smell, it's ridiculously good in comparison to ours and even some of the machines we have in our labs," the professor told A Current Affair.
The dogs' smell is so strong they can detect tiny traces of disease odour the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Researchers are even hopeful the dogs will be able to smell the virus before symptoms develop.
Dogs in the UK are being taught how to smell coronavirus, with scientists hopeful they could become an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. (A Current Affair)
Related
One legged man horrified after vet mistakenly amputates dog's leg
'Unconditional love': Luke Evans say dogs saved his life
Furry friends helping schoolkids learn to read
For the study, samples will be taken from almost a thousand people in the UK. Three hundred will have COVID-19, while 600 won't. None will have symptoms. Odour samples will be collected from their face masks and nylon socks. The dogs will then be taught to sift through background smells like cologne, perfumes and cosmetics to pinpoint the distinctive virus scent.
With a vaccine 12 to 18 months away, the purpose of training detection dogs will be to prevent a second wave of infections once countries reopen for business and travel.
Professor Logan says the dogs will be used at airports and train stations to screen passengers coming in from high-risk nations.
"Each dog can screen up to 250 people per hour. You've seen dogs doing this at airports for drugs and explosives. We know they can detect diseases, if they can detect COVID-19 they could be screening people coming into airports," he said.
The Australian Border Force has confirmed it's working with the UK Home Office and those carrying out the trial. If it's a success, COVID-19 detector dogs could be used at our borders too. (A Current Affair)
The Australian Border Force has confirmed it's working with the UK Home Office and those carrying out the trial. If it's a success, COVID-19 detector dogs could be used at our borders too.
A similar trial is also underway in northern France with a research team teaching search and rescue dogs from the Seine-et-Marne Fire Brigade to recognise a COVID-19 patient's scent through sweat samples. So far, the dogs in the trial have had a good strike rate, sniffing out 86 per cent of positive cases.
Results from the UK trail are expected by September.
While detection dog screenings won't replace clinical testing - it may provide a new layer of biosecurity with cases identified, tested, treated and isolated quickly. "I think it could help us get back to some sort of normality a little bit quicker," professor Logan said.
The dogs' smell is so strong they can detect tiny traces of disease odour the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools. (A Current Affair)
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-...n-the-uk/1c3c1035-6c9a-4bde-b3c6-c9a469339487
