The role of detection dogs has been the subject of a number of studies and experiments during the pandemic — and even before, with dogs trained to detect various other diseases, as well as drugs and explosives. According to Medical Detection Dogs, which trained the dogs for the UK study, a dog’s sense of smell is elevated due to the complex structure of its nose. Medical Detection Dogs cites evidence that dogs may be able to detect Parkinson’s disease years before the onset of symptoms. Beyond the modelling in the UK study, the effectiveness of trained dogs is yet to be determined in a real-world setting. Last November, Nature published an article on the possible role of sniffer dogs in detecting coronavirus.

Source: Indian Express May 25, 2021 16:27 UTC