COVID-19 sniffing dogs to be used in Chile aiport

Dogs trained to detect COVID-19 by sniffing people's sweat were debuted in Chile's international airport on Tuesday.

The coronavirus-sniffing canines are part of Chile government's alternative, quick and cost-effective method of identifying travelers infected with the virus.

Rodrigo Delgado, Minister of the Interior and Public Security, in conjunction with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile showcased the first canine brigade at the Santiago International Airport, where the dogs will eventually put their snouts to work.

Delgado said the trained canines are the first in the Americas, and the third nation in the world where the dogs are operating to sniff COVID-19.

The brigade is made up of four dogs that can sniff up to 250 people per hour, authorities said.

The canines have been trained to detect different types of smells present in human sweat and thus can detect someone who has COVID-19.

The Chilean model was inspired by the work done by the National Veterinary School of Alfort, outside Paris.

The dogs started working at the international airport in Santiago on Tuesday.