Miami Heat to screen fans with coronavirus-sniffing dogs
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports
A Malinois dog being trained to sniff out COVID-19. Photo: Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images
The Heat will use coronavirus-sniffing dogs to screen fans ahead of tonight's game at AmericanAirlines Arena, when ~1,500 season ticket holders will be permitted inside for the first time this season.
Why it matters: The Heat are the first NBA team to try this approach, which has been used at airports in Chile, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.
By the numbers: A German study last year found that trained dogs were able to sniff out COVID-19 with 94% accuracy.
Details: "Fans arriving for the game will be brought to a screening area and the detection dogs will walk past. If the dog keeps going, the fan is cleared; if the dog sits, that's a sign it detects the virus and the fan will be denied entry," per AP.
- If guests are allergic or uncomfortable around dogs, they can submit a rapid antigen test instead, which can be processed in less than 45 minutes.