Trained scent detection K-9’s require a 6-8 week course. And still, K-9’s who have never gone through scent detection training require a 3-6 month training course.
These extensive programs hone in on the volatile organic compounds (sweat samples) emitted through our bodies.
How the walkthrough for a Miami Heat fan works
Now let’s run through a hypothetical stadium entrance encounter. A Miami Heat fan strolls through the front gate – preferably rocking that Tres Tres Alonzo Mourning jersey – with their mask on.
The dog will then approach and sniff. If the pup continues to sniff, you are good. But, if the dog never sniffs and sits next to a person, it has detected the virus through a pathogen-specific odor.
Young man seen donning a Miami Heat ‘Vice City’ Tyler Herro jersey shows mild concern as a K-9 prances toward him. (Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
All Miami Heat attendees must wear a KN95, N95, CLOTH, or SURGICAL mask to combat covid-19.
Bandanas, Ventilator Masks and Gaitors are considered unacceptable.
Once you are granted entry, proper physical distancing and demeanor is encouraged. Meaning there are only water and soft drinks allowed at your seat.
Food and alcoholic beverages are to be consumed on the East Plaza and no cash is accepted. Furthermore, if you are feeling ill, there are isolation rooms available on sight.
Sounds very similar also to the discipline instituted within the Miami Heat conditioning program.
Specially trained pooches sit at attention on the prowl for airborne pathogens (Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP )
Innovative solutions like this should inspire hope for the future
What is so key about this development is the forward-thinking nature. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be solution-minded to solve problems.
Dogs are specifically proactive as they are unable to replicate the virus and can detect an asymptomatic individual.
They are also known to utilize their use of smell to warn authorities about hypoglycemia in diabetic individuals, potential seizures in epileptic individuals, and even some cancers.
It is known that the novel coronavirus changes the metabolic body processes of the human body, and thus dogs are being trained to detect the release of this signature scent. So bravo to K-9’s and the Miami Heat for working hard to bring some normalcy down to South Beach.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s daily routines and hastened an economic recession. It’s hard to understate how this situation has disrupted all of our lives.
Rescheduled plans have become canceled plans and now, six months later, people across the country are still facing long-term consequences.
With no end in sight, and entire sectors of society still shut down, there’s no doubt that post-pandemic life will look quite a bit different, assuming this disease doesn’t become endemic. One sector severely impacted has been music.
Impact of a Pandemic
Shutdowns of cultural events in cities throughout the U.S. (including NYC) left musicians without their gigs, with nowhere to tour, and thus bereft of their main source of income.
Most artists get the bulk of income from live shows. Now, it’s true that live music is far from the only way to listen to your favorite musicians. I know I haven’t been to a live concert in years, and prefer it that way (yes, I’m a weirdo).
But live performances are as lucrative as it gets for a musician. Think about it this way: in the absence of live performances, how do musicians get their income? Merchandise sales are one way, though concert-goers have more exposure to merch and are more likely to buy.
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Online concerts have also taken off – for instance, the famous “One World: Together at Home” fundraiser concert back in April. These online concerts don’t bring in nearly as much revenue but they’re also cheaper to set up.
Obviously, running a concert from your bedroom is easier than a packed concert hall. And if there’s one thing the Gaga-organized gig proved, it’s that these online concerts can be very successful. Sometimes.
After all, musicians can now get their music out to a wider audience without having to tour constantly! And for some artists, that’s just fine – that’s the model, in fact.
Live performances are as lucrative as it gets for a musician… in the absence of live performances, how do musicians get their income?
Some musicians work mainly online
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Take Janet Devlin, for instance. She’s part of a relatively small class of musicians who have made their living primarily online. She got her start uploading music to her YouTube channel and even today her following is mainly online.
I’ve had to cancel a bunch of live events that I’d not even announced yet. As someone who rarely does gigs off the internet, I was really looking forward to them.
However, this model definitely doesn’t work for everybody. There are not many artists who become successful this way, and as anybody who’s tried to make money on YouTube or through podcasting can tell you, it’s thin pickings unless you are very, very popular.
And streaming platforms run on recommendation algorithms. These services will tend to recommend already-popular artists, while up-and-comers stay niche unless they’re lucky enough to “trick the algorithm.”
Online concerts can bring the artists more direct money, if they’re paid, give the artists more control compared to streaming music through a service, and reinforce the connection between the musician and the listener (which can also drive up those sweet, sweet merchandise sales).
That said, online concerts bring their own logistical problems.
Smaller, less-popular musicians aren’t going to have access to that kind of help, and the necessary marketing to get the word out about online concerts, during a pandemic. They’re going to be overshadowed.
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They were able to pull an event like this off because they could advertise it widely.
Artists on StageIt can charge for tickets, unlike video-streaming services (YouTube, Twitch) with their virtual tip jars.
Enter Bandcamp
One company in the online music space that can outdo Spotify, maybe not in popularity but in goodwill, is Bandcamp. The site seems pretty simple on the surface – just a place for artists to sell their music directly to listeners.
Listeners can review albums, leaving notes to the artists, and selecting their favorite songs. Merchandise and physical releases can be advertised, managed by the artists. Also, Bandcamp only takes a 15% cut of sales, smaller than online storefronts like Amazon.
However, the implications are huge. It’s an entirely different model from the streaming companies, and that alone has helped make Bandcamp popular.
The connection between musician and fan is virtually direct through Bandcamp.
Listeners buy albums instead of subscribing to a service. And instead of recommendation algorithms, listeners browse based on the criteria they choose. There’s no “going viral,” but word of mouth matters a lot.
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The site’s entire business model is based around helping artists, and since the pandemic started it has regularly waived its revenue share on certain Fridays as a promotional event.
Musicians aren’t the only people who were affected by the shuttering of cultural events, even within the music industry.
Consider all that goes into making a live music production possible – all the people other than the musicians themselves whose work is necessary to make the music happen.
