Cases of the Rona might be plummeting and the number of vaccinations skyrocketing, but NASCAR is investing in the next line of viral defense at its Atlanta Motor Speedway:

"Officials plan to introduce a new facet to the COVID-19 screening process this weekend, using trained dogs to detect coronavirus among essential personnel for Sunday's Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway," said NASCAR.

Apparently, yes, dogs can actually be trained to determine if a person is infected with COVID by smelling the sweat of an infected person, just like they do explosives, drugs, or even cancer.

Their snozzers are so fine-tuned that they can actually pick up and differentiate the presence of catabolites, or the breakdown of molecules caused by the spread of the virus that are excreted through the skin.

That is pretty dang insane.

"NASCAR will work with 360 K9 Group, which has training facilities in Anniston, Alabama, and New Smyrna Beach, Florida," said the organization. "Two teams of dogs will screen essential personnel, assessing in less than 30 seconds per person whether COVID-19 is present and then alerting their handlers if the disease is detected."

If a dog sounds the alarm, that person will have to take a rapid test in order to enter the speedway.

"The 360 K9 Group adds that clinical studies have shown that the same bio-detection technology can locate the presence of COVID-19 in humans at an accuracy rate of 98%."

While I wouldn't like the idea of getting sniffed by a dog every time I go to work, it'd sure beat someone sticking a swab up my nose!