How Dogs Are Being Trained to Sniff Out Covid-19
The nose knows – especially when it’s a dog’s nose. For years, police have used specially trained K9 officers to detect drugs and explosives. Service dogs are trained to detect odor changes in people with diabetes alerting them to blood sugar changes. There have even been cases of dogs detecting cancer in their owners long before it was diagnosed. Now, dogs are being trained to detect Covid-19.
An article in The Guardian talks about a new study that found that dogs can detect with pinpoint accuracy a specific odor given off by people with Covid-19. The dogs were trained to detect Covid-19 on the clothing of infected people. They had a sensitivity of 94.3% — that’s better than rapid tests (58-77%) and almost as good as PCR test (97.2%). Even more impressive, the dogs are able to detect the virus in mere seconds.
As accurate and quick as the Covid sniffing dogs are, they will not replace PCR tests. However, they could be used at airports to do initial screens of incoming travelers. The article suggests than anyone identified by the dogs would then take a PCR test and quarantine until the results are in. In addition to airports, Forbes reported that these carefully trained dogs are also being used in public places. For instance, the Miami Heat used them to screen fans entering the arena before basketball games.
The Seniors Trust is committed to improving the lives of seniors by providing important information about preventing Covid-19 – and by working to improve Social Security. It wants to see Congress pass the Social Security Expansion Act. This landmark piece of legislation will provide a Social Security benefits increase of about $65, establish a more realistic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for seniors, and guarantee the long-term solvency of the Social Security program.
