COVID-19: UK to spend Rs 4.5cr on research to test if dogs can detect virus by sniffing

In a bid to develop a fast means of detecting Coronavirus, British researchers are all set to conduct a test on dogs' ability to sniff and detect virus. According to reports, at least six dogs including labrors and cocker spaniels will be given intensive training by giving m samples of odour of COVID-19 patients from hospitals in London. During training, y will be taught to distinguish odour of COVID-19 patients to that those who are t infected. 

Britain government has given $606,000 towards this research which will be conducted by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Durham University, and a British charity, Medical Detection Dogs. Researchers suggest that if dogs are successful in identifying COVID patients, y can check up to 250 people in an hour. Furr, dogs can be used in public s and at airports to immediately detect virus and contain its spre.

According to charity Medical Detection Dogs, se dogs have been previously trained to detect diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, and Malaria. Meanwhile, researchers in US and France are also attempting to train dogs to detect virus. 

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evidence of contracting COVID from pets

Meanwhile, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that re is evidence of pets spreing Coronavirus to people. However, re have been a few cases where animals have contracted virus from people. While a tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo h tested positive for virus, a few cats in US and Hong Kong have been tested positive. 

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COVID-19 crisis

First detected in China's Wuhan, at present, re are around 4,890,863 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection across globe and disease has led to death of around 320,130 people. In a ray of hope, around 1,907,392 people are also reported to have recovered.

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