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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDogs are being trained to sniff out coronavirus
March 30, 2020 | 9:47am
NY POST
Excerpt
The problem many countries have to face is that there arent enough test kits to go around. But what if dogs could sniff out people who are infected and pinpoint them in a crowd?
The charity Medical Detection Dogs partnered with Durham University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) on a trial to see if dogs can sniff out COVID-19 patients.
The charity has trained dogs to spot malaria, cancer and Parkinsons patients, as each disease has its own scent, BBC reports. LSHTM head of disease control Professor James Logan said that research proved dogs could detect malaria infections by odor with a level of accuracy above the World Health Organization standards for a diagnostic.
That doesnt mean good boys will be as good as recognizing a particular smell for the novel coronavirus, of course. But if they are, they could be used in all sorts of cases to sniff out potential carriers within large groups of people. The dog test would then be confirmed by an actual COVID-19 test.
The dogs could be ready in six weeks, assuming the trial yields positive results. However, this method of testing will be of limited use, considering it cant be scaled to meet current needs. But the dogs might be useful down the road to prevent the reemergence of COVID-19 and catch future outbreaks early.
The charity is studying ways to safely catch the odor of the virus from patients, according to its boss, Dr. Claire Guest. Its not just safety for humans, but also from dogs. A 17-year-old Pomeranian tested positive in Hong Kong. Initially, it wasnt clear whether the dog had the disease, but successive tests showed he developed antibodies for the infection. The dog was released back home after testing negative, but then died of old age.
The charity Medical Detection Dogs partnered with Durham University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) on a trial to see if dogs can sniff out COVID-19 patients.
The charity has trained dogs to spot malaria, cancer and Parkinsons patients, as each disease has its own scent, BBC reports. LSHTM head of disease control Professor James Logan said that research proved dogs could detect malaria infections by odor with a level of accuracy above the World Health Organization standards for a diagnostic.
That doesnt mean good boys will be as good as recognizing a particular smell for the novel coronavirus, of course. But if they are, they could be used in all sorts of cases to sniff out potential carriers within large groups of people. The dog test would then be confirmed by an actual COVID-19 test.
The dogs could be ready in six weeks, assuming the trial yields positive results. However, this method of testing will be of limited use, considering it cant be scaled to meet current needs. But the dogs might be useful down the road to prevent the reemergence of COVID-19 and catch future outbreaks early.
The charity is studying ways to safely catch the odor of the virus from patients, according to its boss, Dr. Claire Guest. Its not just safety for humans, but also from dogs. A 17-year-old Pomeranian tested positive in Hong Kong. Initially, it wasnt clear whether the dog had the disease, but successive tests showed he developed antibodies for the infection. The dog was released back home after testing negative, but then died of old age.
Little more at link: https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/dogs-are-being-trained-to-sniff-out-coronavirus/
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Dogs are being trained to sniff out coronavirus (Original Post)
Mike 03
Mar 2020
OP
They found that Labrador Retrievers are really good, but cats are even better
jberryhill
Mar 2020
#4
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)1. K and R
dalton99a
(81,565 posts)2. Trump hates dogs.
ProfessorGAC
(65,134 posts)3. I Thought Dogs Could Get C19
Canary in a coal mine?
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)4. They found that Labrador Retrievers are really good, but cats are even better
So if you get a positive Lab test, you go for a cat scan.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)5. As long as I don't have to have a pup smear.
MerryBlooms
(11,770 posts)7. W00f!
mitch96
(13,923 posts)6. Oy............
MerryBlooms
(11,770 posts)8. Sound meowdical advice.