The last few months has seen airports and airlines across the world scramble to implement safety measures to help kick-start international travel.
We reported a while ago that sniffer dogs were being used in the UAE to detect passengers who were infected with or carrying COVID-19. The accuracy was astounding – so much so that other airports began using sniffer dogs in their battle against the virus.
Helsinki airport have been recording the accuracy of their sniffer dogs in a months-long project to ascertain the efficacy and accuracy of the testing method. Long used in airports in the fight against drugs and other contraband items, as well as detecting disease such as cancer in people, sniffer dogs have proven once again just how useful their nifty noses are.
The three nosy pooches, Kossi, ET and Miina, have sniffed swabs collected from 2,200 passengers over the last few months since the testing booth was set up in the airports arrivals hall. The dogs have found the virus in 0.6% of passengers.
Timo Aronkyto, deputy mayor of Vantaa, told reporters that the dogs results match the results obtained by lab testing. “We have done 16-17,000 PCR tests at the airport and less than one percent are positive. [The results] are about the same, I don’t think there is a statistical difference”.
Earlier experiments have suggested sniffer dogs present almost100% accuracy, several days quicker than getting lab-tested results.
Further to that, the testing is completely painless and non-invasive, very quick and can also be done literally as visitors touch down in the airport, meaning if they are positive, contact tracing is much easier and there is no risk of exposure to the greater public.
In addition to Helsinki and the UAE, sniffer dogs are currently being used in France, Russia and Chile.
However, as seen earlier, the results have been based on quite small sample sizes, meaning that the testing pool must be expanded in order to get quantifiable, scientific results.
Currently, researches are pooling results from all the locations that have used sniffer dogs in order to best understand the results and make sure the success rate is similar.
Sniffer dogs are already used in a variety of roles.
There will likely be peer-reviewed, published research by the end of the year.
As Australia faces an international travel ban until a vaccine is implemented (not only available, but administered to the necessary population), this could be a significant factor in allowing international borders to open up earlier than previously thought.
Only passengers who test positive would need to undergo mandatory quarantine, rather than the current method which entails every international arrival (except New Zealanders), most of which are returned Australian travellers, undertake 14-days in a quarantine hotel.
It could also be used domestically, at airports and border crossings, and even at shopping centres, schools, hospitals etc, meaning an end to enforced lockdowns and state border closures.
Other airlines and airports have used ‘rapid testing’ to break down barriers, including United Airlines on flights to Hawaii, and London’s Heathrow Airport.
Recently, a hotel in London began implementing ‘test and rest’ packages, offering a stay at an airport hotel with an included PCR COVID-19test, with results within several hours accessible via an app.
This then allows travellers to fly COVID-free without having to organise their own test through a medical professional, an aspect that has recently proved difficult for passengers.
The use of sniffer dogs to detect the virus may make international travel a viable option much earlier than previously thought – fingers crossed this is something governments and authorities begin to consider.
We always knew dogs were mans best friend! Thanks to all those super snoots helping us stay safe.
Jenna Rank
Jenna has visited over 50 countries across the world, and hopes to visit 100 by 2025
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