Canines Set To Sniff Out COVID-19 Under Finnish Project Trial Run

Canines Set To Sniff Out COVID-19 Under Finnish Project Trial Run

Finland expects to run trial of CoVid-19 tests soon, enlisting canines to sniff out the virus in less than 60 seconds, yielding data no longer than 10 seconds. While US and UAE ran similar tests, Finland will launch the biggest, having gone farthest in research.

Dubai also recently conducted similar tests, claiming 90% accuracy. Finnish researchers explain that human smell parallels with health and they rely on the dogs’ ability to detect ailments to carry their experiment successfully. The University of Helsinki claims proof that canines can detect CoVid-19 and only when done in scale can accuracy be achieved.

Like in Dubai, Helsinki’s canines will sniff random sweat samples from participants, without coming in contact with them, and who, themselves, swab from their necks. They will then take PCR tests for correlation and accuracy check. One project researcher said that dogs are more effective CoVid detectors than the PCR tests. Out of 16, four canines are ready, six are under training, while another six were unfit to operate in the high-traffic environment.

Skeptics said that training is costly and time-consuming. Researchers see people’s need for privacy, allergies, or fear of dogs as possible challenges. On the other hand, researchers believe the project will help ease the overwhelming demand for testing. They also aim to determine how long the dogs can operate. Although some dogs have tested CoVid-positive, researchers said there’s no proof these dogs can transmit to humans.

Feature Image Source: Jyri Huhtala/ Vantaa city administration

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