Sniffer dogs to identify Covid patients at Islamabad airport

Islamabad, May 14 (IANS) Authorities at the Islamabad airport have decided to bring in sniffer dogs to identify coronavirus-infected inbound travellers to the Pakistani capital city, the media reported on Friday.A senior airport official told Dawn news that the well-trained sniffer dogs will detect the virus by smelling the odours generated by infected people.Sniffer dogs can be used as a secondary screening tool for detecting Covid-19 infection, he said.A team of experts have already visited the airport and have also selected a site to deploy the sniffer dogs.Earlier, the health authorities in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has been using thermal scanners and Rapid Antigen tests to detect the infected travellers at the airport.Meanwhile, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has allowed airlines to operate at 30 per cent of their flights, reports Dawn news.
--IANS ksk/