Medical Detection Dogs is training dogs to detect coronavirus in the hope they could be used at UK airports to help uncover the disease.
The organisation’s founder believes the animals could detect covid-19 in asymptomatic travellers arriving in the country when lockdown measures are relaxed.
Dr Claire Guest, CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, says its dogs can detect diseases like cancer and malaria in less than a second.
Speaking on the ‘Today’ programme on Radio 4, Dr Guest said: “We’re in discussions with the government and we’re hopeful they will support this initiative.”
She added that specially trained dogs would be able to sniff out any passengers with possible coronavirus systems so they could be tested and isolated where necessary.
“It would just be like dogs checking for passengers carrying drugs or explosives,” she said.
Six dogs have been earmarked for the training – Norman, Digby, Storm, Star, Jasper and Asher. It is hoped they will be able to detect coronavirus in as little as six to eight weeks.
A crowdfunding page has been set up to raise £500,000 to train the dogs with almost £8,000 pledged by the end of the first day.
