Are dogs sniffing out COVID at airports?

Cobra, a female Belgian Malinois, and One Betta, a Dutch shepherd, are 7-year-old dogs trained to detect the presence of the coronavirus. The keen-nosed canines are part of a pilot program at Miami International, one of the nation's busiest airports — and the first to employ dogs in the battle against the coronavirus.



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Twenty-eight samples were from people with asymptomatic cases; only one of them was missed, and two weren't sniffed, for an 89% accuracy rate. In the airport setting, the dogs' identifications matched those of PCR in 98.7% of the COVID-negative swabs.

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Never place a pet in the x-ray tunnel. The x-ray at the security checkpoint is used to screen passengers' personal property and carry-on luggage only. If possible, carry the pet during the screening process. Alternately, a pet can walk through the screening process if the owner has the pet on a leash.

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Airport pet relief areas are special areas within airports where pets, service animals, and emotional support animals can have a toilet break before they board their flights. After all, no one wants their pet to have an accident during the flight!

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Beagles and beagle mixes are the preferred breed of dog at the airport because of their keen sense of smell, non-threatening size, high food drive, and gentle disposition with the public.

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