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Can Dogs Get Fans Back in the Seats?
The Miami Heat is testing Covid-19 sniffing dogs
Who is ready to get back to the arena and cheer on your favorite team? I know I am. In Texas, we say, “How ‘bout ‘dem Cowboys?” The Miami Heat from the National Basketball Association plans to test a novel idea to get fans safely back into the stands.
ESPN reported the Miami Heath will test out the use of coronavirus-sniffing dogs to help screen fans for entry to games. Initially, this trial will be limited to a small group of participants.
The idea of using dogs could use more research but is not as crazy as it sounds. The UAE was the first airport to add airport sniffer dogs to detect Covid-19 on passengers. Travelers still underwent Covid PCR testing, but the addition of canine screening helped accurately detect infected travelers. A small report in Nature showed the dogs’ detection of Covid-19 correlated with PCR testing with 92% accuracy.
The super sniffing abilities of dogs are well-known. Hunters partner with man’s best friend in the search for wild game. Detection dogs are commonplace in airports and customs agencies to detect explosives and illegal drugs. Police train dogs to detect blood or find lost victims and suspects.
