Six Super Sniffers That Could Detect COVID-19
PHOTO CREDIT: BE X ARTS/ NIGEL HARPER PHOTOGR APHY
By Claudia Bensimoun
WITH COVID-19 TESTING AND TREATMENT STILL BEING LIMITED,
invasive and make sure the limited NHS testing resources are only used
researchers are looking into ways that medical detection dogs can help.
where they are really needed. This will then need to be confirmed by a
Today, scientists believe that these super sniffer dogs can be trained to
medical test.”
sniff out coronavirus in people. Some of these dogs are already pretrained detector dogs that could be trained in no time at all.
The charity Medical Detection Dogs will intensively train the dogs that pass the assessment to help provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis to-
Medical or bio detection dogs play a huge role in detecting health condi-
wards the tail end of the epidemic. They are working in partnership with
tions. These dogs are trained to find the odor of diseases, such as cancer,
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Dur-
in samples such as urine and swabs. Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are
ham University. The collaborators have been speaking to government at
trained to detect minute changes in an individual’s personal odor triggered
the highest level and in the meantime launched a crowdfunder to start
by their disease, and alert them to an impending medical event.
raising funds for the preliminary stages.
Today, Medical Detection Dogs are at the forefront of research in the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases including Par-
If successful, the dogs could also be able to detect subtle changes in temperature of the skin.
kinson’s disease, malaria and bacterial infections. These special dogs are
Once trained, the super six could lead the way for dogs to be used to
also being trained to detect if someone has COVID-19, and could play a
identify travelers entering the country infected with the virus or be de-
vital role in preventing further spread of the pandemic in the future.
ployed in other public spaces. The potential recruits could not be more
Dr. Claire Guest, CEO and Co-Founder of Medical Detection Dogs, explains that “In principle, we’re sure that dogs could detect COVID-19.
different in terms of background and character, with half of them being rescue dogs, but they could all be life-savers.
We are now looking into how we can safely catch the odor of the virus
Dr. Guest explains that “We will train them in the same way we train
from patients and present it to the dogs. The aim is that dogs will be
our other Bio Detection Dogs, in our training room, and then transfer
able to screen anyone, including those who are asymptomatic and tell
them to detecting on individuals in a similar way to our Medical Alert As-
us whether they need to be tested. This would be fast, effective and non-
sistance Dogs. The samples that the dogs will be trained on at the center
14 Summer 2020
