COVID-19 sniffer dogs

A pack of ‘Super Six’ hounds are undergoing a scientific training programme in the hope they will be able to detect whether someone is infected with COVID-19 in one sniff. Norman, Digby, Storm, Star, Jasper and Asher have been chosen for their extremely sensitive sense of smell that can pick up odours produced by viral infections on humans, thanks to the complex structure of their noses, which contain over 300 million scent receptors (compared to a mere five million in a human). The project, which involves the charity Medical Detection Dogs, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Durham University, aims to prove that the dogs can be an effective way to spot who might unwittingly be carrying the virus. The six dogs, comprising two Labradors, three cocker spaniels and a labradoodle, are currently undergoing training in Milton Keynes. If successful, they would be able to screen up to 250 people an hour in busy places such as airports and railway stations.