Published 16:37 IST, September 25th 2020

'Promising method': Finland's Helsinki airport deploys sniffer dogs to detect coronavirus

An in-charge to the 4-month trial from the University of Helsinki Finland said that the process took entirely a minute to complete as dogs sniffed coronavirus.

World News
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On September 24, Finland’s Helsinki airport deployed sniffer dogs to detect COVID-19 among travellers. country launched a state-funded trial to deploy a faster, and efficient method to testing, and hence, deployed dogs at international airport that could sniff coronavirus in as quickly as 10 seconds. An in-charge to 4-month trial, Anna Hielm-Björkman from University of Helsinki said that process took entirely a minute to complete as dogs effectively detected coronavirus infection in tourists entering Finland via airport. city of Vantaa “believes that dogs will be an efficient method of ensuring health and safety at airports,” it said in an official press release.

“It’s a very promising method. Dogs are very good at sniffing,” University of Helsinki professor of equine and small animal medicine, said. “If it works, it will be a good (coronavirus) screening method at any or place,” she ded.

At least 4 different breeds of dogs trained professionally by Finland’s Smell Detection Association were deployed at Helsinki airport. airport shared ims of dogs on duty, smelling, and inspection of area at arrival hall 2B. In a post on Twitter, Helsinki airport informed that service was mandatory for all overseas passengers arriving in Finland from or countries, with a special emphasis on high-risk countries. dogs have been trained to identify potential carriers of virus with ir se at Helsinki-Vantaa airport, run by Finavia. This is among first government-funded pilot projects in Finland.

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Using 'canine scent detection'

Director of Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport told local finish ncies that airport was relying on canine scent detection, a technique employed by Finland’s airport in a first to detect Covid-19 patients. In an official press release, Ulla Lettijeff said, “ pilot that will be kicked off on Tuesday. We are among pioneers. As far as we kw or airport has attempted to use canine scent detection on such a large scale against COVID-19." ditionally, according to Finland’s government, dogs are able to sniff much smaller sample than PCR tests used by health care professionals. A huge dog can smell 0-100 molecules while a test detects 18,000,000.

“We are pleased with city of Vantaa’s initiative. This might be an ditional step forward on way to beating coronavirus," Director of Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport said.

CEO of Suomen Hajuerottelu—Wisese Ry, University of Helsinki’s DogRisk research group, Susanna Paavilainen said, “We are working with Finnish Customs to prepare for a potential scenario where it takes charge of operation.” sniffing from dog wouldn’t be directly done at airport but at a separate booth and of test result is positive, traveller will be asked to quarantine and eventually shifted to healthcare center.

[Sniffer dogs named K'ssi, left and Miina react with trainer Susanna Paavilainen at Helsinki airport in Vantaa, Finland. Four corona sniffer dogs are trained to detect Covid-19 virus from arriving passenger samples at airport.]