Dogs may be better at detecting Covid-19 than nasal PCR tests, study finds
Trained dogs may be able to detect Covid-19 more effectively than nasal swab PCR tests, according to new research.
A study published on Wednesday by the peer-reviewed Plos One journal found that canines were able to better detect the presence of Covid than PCR antigenic tests in both symptomatic and asymptomatic people.
In the study, trained dogs were able to detect Covid in 97% of symptomatic cases and nearly 100% of asymptomatic cases.
“The dog doesn’t lie,” Dominique Grandjean, a professor at the Alfort National Veterinary School in France and a study author, told Science News, noting that different errors can occur with PCR tests.
The study featured 335 participants from Covid screening centers in Paris. Of the participants, 109 were positive with Covid, including 31 who were asymptomatic.
The detection dogs, provided by French fire stations and the United Arab Emirates, received three to six weeks of training, depending on if a dog was previously trained for odor detection.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/02/dogs-covid-19-detection-better-pcr-tests-study
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