This time our canine companions are joining the battle against the coronavirus, sniffing out infections.
Four dogs are in training at a facility in Maui, Hawaii, learning to detect COVID-19 with their noses, according to the Maui News. The trainers use sweat samples collected from individuals who have tested positive and negative for the virus. Samson, a golden retriever, and Labrador retrievers Yuki, Sadie and Tess are the pioneers in the work.
“We are really hopeful this will have a practical application and it can be another screening measure for people arriving in Hawaii, especially those people who are asymptomatic,” Maureen “Mo” Maurer, executive director of Assistance Dogs of Hawaii, told the newspaper.