Miami Heat to use trained dogs in coronavirus detection
The team will be the first in the NBA to use dogs to screen the public.
By ABIGAIL ADLERDespite pet adoption being on the rise amid COVID-19, Israelis have shown a clear preference for smaller dogs, leaving shelters overflowing with larger dogs.(photo credit: SPCA ISRAEL)
Who let the dogs out?National Basketball Association's (NBA) Miami Heat plans on unleashing trained dogs to detect coronavirus as Miami's American Airlines Arena reopens to a limited amount of fans. The dogs will screen guests and employees alike. According to CNN, the team will be the first in the NBA to use dogs to screen the public. However, CNN also reported that it is still not entirely clear if dogs are capable of detecting the virus. Miami Heat is reportedly testing the dogs' skills on a smaller scale with employees first. Miami Heat explained how the dogs work to CNN: People entering the premises will stand on socially distanced dots as dogs sniff them. If the dog keeps walking, the person is in the clear. If the dog sits by the person, then coronavirus may have been detected. An employee will assist the party in question with getting a refund and provide health information, but the party will not be allowed to enter. Miami Heat's business strategy vice president Matthew Jafarian told CNN that detection dogs are only a part of the team's plans for combatting coronavirus, which include social distancing, cash-free concession stands, mandatory masks, a health questionnaire, and banning food and drinks within the arena itself. This is not the first time dogs have been utilized to detect coronavirus. In September 2020, Finland used sniffer dogs to test travelers for coronavirus in Helsinki-Vantaa airport as part of a pilot program. The dogs "come close to 100% sensitivity," according to University of Helsinki Professor and trial director Anna Hielm-Bjorkmam. In this trial, dogs were given cloths that travelers wiped across their necks, and sniff the cloth in order to detect the virus. Eve Young contributed to this report.
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