The aim is to train the dogs to detect travellers who are carrying the virus without knowing it because they have yet to develop symptoms – and might never do so. Asher and his fellow dogs will then sniff the socks and masks to try to distinguish a unique Covid-19 scent. ‘We know other diseases carry distinct and specific odours, so the whole premise is that dogs can learn the smell of Covid-19,’ says Prof Logan. Working in the Gambia, they trained dogs who sniffed sock samples to successfully detect children carrying malaria parasites without exhibiting symptoms of the disease. They’re all spoilt rotten because these aren’t kennel dogs – they all live with families and individuals out in the community.’

Source: Daily Mail May 16, 2020 23:23 UTC