Dubai airport deploys coronavirus-sniffing dogs

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the first in the world to deploy a K-9 unit trained to detect coronavirus cases amid the global health crisis, with the dogs conducting over 400 tests in recent weeks at a reported accuracy of 91%, Fox News reports.

The world’s busiest air hub for international travel dispatched the K-9 unit for quick Covid-19 testing earlier this month, SF Gate reports. All persons arriving in the United Arab Emirates must be tested for the viral disease prior to departure, and show proof of negative results for entry.

In addition, Gulf News reported on Wednesday that Dubai Police’s K-9 unit has conducted 400 tests during the last three weeks of the trial, at an “impressive” overall accuracy of 91%.

In partnership with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), "possibly-infected passengers" traveling through DXB enter a designated testing area to give a scent sample via a swab of their armpit, according to TravelPulse. From there, the trained canines are presented with the samples in another isolated room, sniffing the body scents through a funnel-like device.

If the dog detects what may be Covid-19, the passenger, left waiting for just a few minutes, is directed to take a nasal PCR test, per SFGate.

The Associated Press reports that DXB saw 86.4 million passengers in 2019, per MarketWatch.