Dogs can sniff out COVID better than some tests, new study shows
Man’s best friend might also be an enemy to COVID-19.
Dogs may be able to detect coronavirus earlier in the course of a person’s illness than PCR tests and with more accuracy than antigen tests, according to a study released Wednesday in the journal Plos One.
Researchers affiliated with the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris determined canines identified the virus with 97% accuracy. They noted PCR tests, widely considered the most accurate, have a similar success rate while nasal antigen tests successfully detected around 84% of positive COVID infections. What’s more, dogs appeared to be particularly skilled at identifying asymptomatic infections, with a sensitivity of around 100%.
The results are based on PCR and sweat samples from 335 people as well as antigen tests from 234 people recruited from two Paris testing centers between March 16 and April 9, 2021.
To carry out the study, researchers established 10 different stations with the human sweat swabs, each of them hidden beneath cones to protect the pups from exposure to the virus. At least two train dogs were commanded to sniff each cone, and If they believed the the samples to be positive for coronavirus they would sit.
It’s not the first study high-lighting canines’ ability to sniff out COVID cases, though it is one of the only works to compare dog detection abilities to antigen tests, according to researchers. They noted their results “support the use of canine olfaction as an alternative to antigenic tests,” which rely on nasal swabs and spit samples.
“Canine testing is non-invasive and provides immediate and reliable results,” the study concluded.
