By Sophia Kurz
A (not yet peer-reviewed) study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), alongside the charity Medical Detection Dogs and Durham University, found that trained sniffer dogs could detect the COVID-19 virus in humans with a high degree of accuracy.
Sniffer dogs have been used in airports for quite some time now and have primarily been implemented to detect drugs and explosive devices in luggage and on person. Dogs can do this because of the high number of olfactory glands receptors in their noses, which are 40 times greater than humans. Olfactory receptors are responsible for detecting odorous molecules in the air and is essentially what makes it possible for a sense of smell.
The study conducted found that dogs may be able to be utilized in order to detect COVID-19 in passengers. 3921 adults were enrolled in the study and found that dogs were able to detect COVID-19 within the participants with a sensitivity range of 82 – 94 per cent (the proportion of infected individuals correctly identified by the dogs as being infected) and a specificity range of 76 – 92 per cent (the proportion of uninfected individuals correctly identified by the dogs as being uninfected). The dogs were even able to distinguish between those with a common cold and those who were truly infected with COVID-19.
This new method could be used to quickly screen a plane of passengers to detect anybody who may be infected with COVID-19. It is predicted that this screening could have two dogs screen 300 people in around 30 min, and those detected may receive further testing to confirm infection, such as swab testing.
“Knowing that we can harness the amazing power of a dog’s nose to detect COVID-19 quickly and non-invasively gives us hope for a return to a more normal way of life through safer travel and access to public places, so that we can again socialize with family and friends,” says Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection dogs, Dr Clair Guest.
Furthermore, Head of the Department of Disease Control at LSHTM and leader of the study, Professor James Logan stated, “The results of this study far exceeded my expectations. While the mass rollout of vaccines in the UK is a great success, it will take time to achieve the coverage levels needed for our lives to return to near normal. With the threat of new variants entering the country, the need for testing means we face potential continued disruption for some time to come. That’s where these amazing dogs could play a role.”
