He was obtained from an experienced scent trainer but had not yet begun his scent training. For the dogs, scent detection work is a game of hide-and-seek, with a food reward as a prize. Initial Alpha variant scent samples were obtained via ambient transfer of scent from samples of frozen saliva from COVID-19–positive hospitalized patients. They were 94% to 96% accurate in identifying negative individuals (negative percent agreement). In summary, trained scent dogs could prove to be important, practical, effective, efficient, and economical contributors to public health protection.

Source: The Guardian November 17, 2023 16:35 UTC