Royal visit for bio-detection dogs

The Duchess of Cornwall today visited the training centre where trials will take place to determine whether dogs can sniff out Covid-19 in people. The research is a collaboration between Medical Detection Dogs, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Durham University. If the trial is successful, dogs could be used as a new rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tool for the virus. Specially-trained dogs could be deployed to public places such as airports in the UK to assist with the rapid screening of people travelling from abroad - with the potential of screening of up to 250 people per hour. Training room The Duchess, who is a Patron of the charity Medical Detection Dogs, watched demonstrations which showed dogs learning to detect the virus. Her Royal Highness met two of the super sniffers - cocker spaniel, Asher and fox red Labrador, Belle as they underwent training alongside bio-detection specialist trainers. The Duchess also watched a demonstration of passive screening, where Labradors, Marley and Bea, went up and down a queue of people to detect the smell, as they could in public places such as airports.