Day 194 of self-isolation - Dogs

Dogs

Dogs have very sensitive noses. I was once part of an experiment to see if dogs could sniff cancer. I was one of the non-cancer subjects. I don't know what the outcome was.

But I do know that dogs are used to sniff out drugs at airports, and also money. There's some very heart-warming videos on Youtube - when the dog finds a stash, it's rewarded with a game of "fetch".

Now dogs are being used to sniff out Covid-19. The test takes just a few seconds and, according to the report, is nearly 100% accurate. You wipe your neck with a cloth, put it in a can and the dogs sniff it. There are four dogs in Helsinki airport sniffing at passengers. If the dog says you're positive, you're then invited to take a standard nasal swab test. The dogs are called ET, Kossi, Miina and Valo.

Dogs are faster and cheaper than laboratories, and they don't get infected.

 

Kossi the Covid sniffer dog