As part of effort to battle the coronavirus pandemic, US researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine disclosed that they have begun training for dogs to see if they can sniff out coronavirus in humans.
In the trial programme, eight dogs will be trained over the course of three weeks to sniff out coronavirus from urine and saliva samples.
However, it seems US researchers are not the only ones looking into using dogs’ powerful ability to smell in the fight against coronavirus.
A photo of the moment a Malinois dog was being taught to find a piece of fabric infected with the COVID-19 virus has been shared online.
The photo was taken during a training session, on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in Maison-Alfort, on the outskirts of Paris, as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
The dog is among the group of dogs being trained in Maison-Alfort to detect the novel coronavirus.
The initiative is directed by the Professor on Veterinary Medicine, Dominique Grandjean.