Dogs Can Sniff Out Long Covid-19, French Study Suggests

Topline

A study by French researchers suggests that trained dogs can detect Covid-19 in patients who have had the virus for as long as a year and half, echoing studies conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany that have found dogs to be effective in sniffing out the virus.

Key Facts

According to a preprint of the study, which has not been peer reviewed, trained dogs had an accuracy rate of 51.1% (23 out of 45) with samples of armpit sweat from long-term Covid patients, none of whom had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit, while having no false positives (zero out of 188 control samples). 

Covid-19 produces a specific odor as a result of metabolic changes, according to a peer-reviewed study on canine Covid detection published by Florida International University last year. 

Florida International University conducted a double-blind study with four trained dogs that showed a 97.5% accuracy in spotting Covid-19 by sniffing people and surfaces.

A study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that dogs showed an 82%-94% success rate in detecting Covid-19, while a study out of Germany found that trained dogs had a 94% accuracy in detecting coronavirus in human saliva.

Key Background

Three school districts in Massachusetts began using trained dogs to detect Covid-19 in classrooms earlier this month. The Bristol County Sheriff’s office worked with Florida International University to train two 14-month-old dogs, Huntah and Duke, CNN reported. The dogs sit down when they smell Covid-19 on the surface of items in classrooms, such as desks and keyboards, CBS Boston reported.

What We Don’t Know

While studies have suggested dogs effectively sniff out Covid-19, the FDA has not approved them as a diagnostic tool.

Further Reading

‘A protective bubble’: Covid-sniffing dogs help scientists – and Metallica – spot infection (Guardian)

COVID Detecting Dogs Begin Working In 3 Massachusetts School Districts (CBS Boston)

Immune system can cause broad damage in COVID-19; dogs can detect coronavirus in people (Reuters)