I remember when my children were young and they would pretend to be sick so they didn’t have to go to school, although to this day they deny it! I also remember, this may sound weird but, smelling their breath. Yes, I would smell their breath to see if they had something “cooking” in their throat or sinus. Honestly, 99% of the time I was spot on, my nose could pick up the distinctive odor of infection!

Airports use trained dogs to sniff out narcotics and illegal transit items in luggage every day! Police officers are trained to work directly with canines to sniff out dangerous criminals and to control crowds. There are also stories of dogs identifying cancer in their owners, sniffing and nudging until the owner finally went to the doctor for a diagnosis!

The nose (olfactory system) is indeed an amazing part of the body, both human and canine! Most recently a Massachusetts county started turning to dogs to help fight COVID-19. The dogs have been specifically trained to detect the coronavirus, which has a certain scent, in a way that mirrors who they sniff out drugs or bombs. See, not so weird after all, right? Maybe they should set these canines loose in airports and bus stations to help lower the risk of contracting COVID-19 while traveling? Hmmmm….something to ponder! Stay well, stay informed and stay tuned!