Dogs have been man’s best friend since time began. There has never been a time when dogs and humankind haven’t lived side by side. It could be argued that humans need dogs more than dogs need humans. Dogs provide so much more than companionship; throughout history, the canines have carried out all kinds of work. To say that life as we know it wouldn’t be possible today without these four-legged furry creatures wouldn’t be an understatement in the least.
The UK government has teamed up with Medical Detection Dogs charity
Why in the world would the UK government team up with Medical Detection Dogs charity? They are taking advantage of the dog’s keen sense of smell. You see, scientists believe that dogs can tell if a person has the coronavirus depending on their odor. Yes, the dogs can sniff a person and tell if they have the virus. Imagine for a second how big of a deal it would be if a dog could take a few sniffs of a person and know if they’re sick. Now, imagine how much of an impact that would have on the world if somehow dogs could help us keep the virus in check.
Dogs have a history of sniffing out disease
Some of you might be surprised to learn that dogs have been sniffing out cancer for quite some time. How can a dog know if you’ve got a disease? A person omits a different body odor when they’re sick. Did you know that? Yes, it’s true. Your body smells differently, depending on which disease you have. The dog is trained to pick up on certain odors that are charismatic of particular diseases—people who are afflicted with the coronavirus smell differently than those who don’t have it. A dog picks up on the odor and alerts the person working with them that something is going wrong.
Everyone is well aware of the sniffing power of a dog’s nose
You might not know that a dog can sniff disease, but you certainly are aware that dogs can smell all kinds of things. Dogs can smell drugs in packages that the naked eye can’t see what’s in them. Bombs are another thing that dogs can smell that no one else can. Also, dogs are used to smell if dead bodies exist in a natural disaster. It’s safe to say that the sniffing power of a dog’s nose has changed the course of history before and about to do the same again.
Future studies are needed to know how accurate the testing is
It’s going to take dogs sniffing hundreds of thousands of people to know if this method of detecting the coronavirus is effective. If past performance is any indicator, then these dogs are going to revolutionize how the medical profession responds to the virus. The hope is that less testing is needed since sniffing is quick and efficient. A dog can sniff multitudes of people every day without the need to take a break. All a dog needs is some love, a few treats, and some scratching behind the ears and they’ll work harder than any person.