Coronavirus: UAE’s police dogs first in the world to successfully sniff out COVID-19

The United Arab Emirates has successfully trained police dogs to detect cases of novel coronavirus in passengers arriving at its airports, making the country the first in the world to do successfully do so, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Thursday.

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Police dogs were trained and stationed across its airports as an additional line of defense to detect COVID-19, WAM added.

While other countries, such as Lebanon, have begun to train dogs to sniff out the virus, the UAE is the only one to implement it so far, according to WAM.

The dogs have been trained to detect the virus through a person’s sweat and do not have to come into direct contact with individuals. Within seconds of an infected person passing by a dog, the animal will be able to determine whether that individual is carrying the coronavirus.

UAE trains police dogs to sniff out COVID-19. (WAM)

“The UAE experiment and its protocols are unique in avoiding any direct contact between the dogs and the persons under examination according to the highest standards of health precautionary measures,” WAM said.

“This is considered as additional line that [will] enhance the security and safety of passengers at airports with the gradual return and opening of more international airports and the increasing number of flights,” the statement added.

Airports across the UAE began welcoming back residents abroad and tourists from around the world earlier this month while still enforcing precautionary measures and requiring some arrivals to be tested.

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