Two dogs specially trained to detect COVID-19 have joined the ranks of schools in a school district in Massachusetts, United States.
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The 14-month-old Labradors Huntah and Duke roam the halls of schools in the Freetown-Lakeville district after starting their training last May, CNN reported on Saturday.
The two new recruits were trained in the same way as the drug dogs, said Jonathan Darling, public information officer at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.
A mask worn by a person infected with COVID-19 was used for training the dogs, after the virus was killed by a UV lamp.
Of the nearly 3,000 students and 400 staff, school district principal Rick Medeiros insisted that the arrival of the dogs does not disrupt education.
“Our number one priority is to allow our students and staff to stay in school safely for in-person learning and we believe this was just one more mitigation strategy to help us. to achieve this goal, ”Medeiros told the American channel.
The dogs thus visit schools every week in order to detect possible cases in empty classrooms, cafeterias or even gymnasiums.
If the virus is detected, the authorities pass the information on to the school nurse, who then contacts those concerned, the director explained.
COVID-19 is believed to cause metabolic changes that produce a distinct odor, allowing dogs to detect the virus, according to a study from Florida International University.
This is not the first time that dogs have been used to test for COVID-19, the Miami airport in Florida having already experienced last September.
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