It was discovered early in the pandemic during 2020 that dogs could detect COVID-19 quite easily.
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According to the results of preliminary tests carried out by a research group at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Helsinki, dogs were able to detect the virus by smell with almost 100% accuracy.
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They could detect the presence of the virus several days before the first symptoms appeared, and in that regard they were better than laboratory tests at that point.
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In September 2020, a special squad of dogs began working at Helsinki Airport, which have been trained to recognize the COVID-19 coronavirus by smell.
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Passengers who agreed to undergo free testing did not have direct physical contact with animals.
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They  were asked to wipe their skin with a tissue, which was then taken to the dog in a special container.
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During testing, airport employees did not collect personal data.
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The experiment using dogs lasted over four months.
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It involved 16 dogs: four dogs per shift.
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The dogs used in the project have previously been trained to detect cancer, diabetes and other diseases.
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It only took 10 seconds for a dog to detect a person showing signs of COVID-19.
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After this, the passenger was invited to take a free coronavirus test at the airport medical center.
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According to Anna Hielm-Bjorkman from the University of Helsinki, the use of sniffing dogs could provide a cheap and fast alternative to PCR testing at airports.
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The experiment currently cost the hub about 300,000 euros, but experts said it was cheaper than traditional testing.
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Later that year, the honorary title of superhero was given to the coronavirus-detecting dogs Kessi, Miina, ET and Valo by the Finnish Dog Breeders' Association, which annually honors dogs that have saved human lives.
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The honorees worked at Helsinki airport.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: When was it discovered that dogs could detect COVID-19 quite easily?
A: Early in the pandemicA: During 2020 

Q: What were the results of preliminary tests carried out by a research group at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Helsinki?
A: Dogs were able to detect coronavirus by smell 

Q: What was the accuracy of dogs detecting coronavirus by smell, according to the results of preliminary tests carried out by a research group at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Helsinki?
A: Almost 100%  

Q: Why were dogs better in detecting the coronavirus than laboratory COVID tests early in the pandemic?
A: They could detect the presence of the virus several days before the first symptoms appeared

Q: When did a special squad of dogs begin working at Helsinki Airport?
A: In September 2020

Q: What were the passengers who agreed to undergo testing asked to do?
A: Wipe their skin with a tissue

Q: Where was the tissue placed after a passenger wiped their skin with it?
A: In a special container 

Q: How long did the experiment using dogs last at Helsinki Airport?
A: Over four months

Q: How many dogs did the experiment at Helsinki Airport involve?
A: 16

Q: How many dogs per shift did the experiment at Helsinki Airport involve?
A: 4 

Q: What disease had the dogs used in the project been previously trained to detect?
A: Cancer

Q: What disease had the dogs used in the project been previously trained to detect?
A: Diabetes

Q: How long did it take a dog to detect a person showing signs of COVID-19?
A: 10 seconds

Q: What were the passengers invited to do after a positive dog test?
A: To take a free coronavirus test

Q: What did the experiment cost the airport?
A: About 300,000 euros

Q: Why was the experiment with dogs cost-efficient?
A: Because it was cheaper than traditional COVID-testing 

Q: How were the coronavirus-detecting dogs Kessi, Miina, ET and Valo honored later that year?
A: The honorary title of superhero was given to them

Q: By whom were the coronavirus-detecting dogs Kessi, Miina, ET and Valo given the title of superhero?
A: By the Finnish Dog Breeders' Association