Might it soon be possible for dogs to detect the coronavirus? We may soon find out, thanks to a study now underway at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
Researchers are testing eight Labrador retrievers via a process known as odor imprinting. The dogs are basically sniffing COVID-19-positive saliva and urine samples over a three-week period. If all goes well, the labs will be able to discern between positive and negative samples. Should that be accomplished, additional research can be conducted with people who have been infected.
A similar project is also taking place at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dogs there have already shown an ability to identify malaria infections in humans.
Dogs are ideal for this sort of inquiry because they have up to 300 million smell receptors. By comparison, humans have a relatively paltry 6 million. That discrepancy gives our canine companions a huge advantage when it comes to sniffing out trouble, or virtually anything else.
Should the project prove successful, we might soon see the emergence of a canine surveillance corps. Our four-legged friends could provide a non-invasive way to screen people in nursing homes, hospitals, businesses and other public places.
