SARASOTA, Fla. — When you head to Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, you'll now be greeted by a sniff from a new four-legged friend. But Buffy is sniffing for more than just your scent, she's detecting if you have COVID-19.
The 2-year-old Labrador retriever is a trained scent detection dog from Southeastern Guide Dogs after finishing her roughly nine months of training.
According to the hospital, Buffy was given deactivated samples from those in their care with COVID-19. From there, she was trained to detect changes in a person's immune system.
"Labrador retrievers have an estimated 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about six million in humans," the hospital wrote.
Buffy is reported to be approximately 95-percent effective at detecting the coronavirus in a person.
So, here's how it will work. Visitors entering the hospital will be screened by a caregiver, have their temperature checked, and then Buffy will be around to give their shoes a sniff. If she detects COVID-19, the person will be asked to get additional testing.
"Buffy is being used as an extra resource, although a very furry one, to help keep the community safe," the hospital explained.
Anyone who is asked to complete additional testing can do so for free at the hospital or another location.
When not on duty, Buffy actually lives with hospital CEO Robert Meade's family, according to a press release.
You can catch a glimpse of Buffy in action in the video below:
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