New research in the UK has found that trained dogs have high levels of accuracy when it comes to smelling the distinct odour of people who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>.

Conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), this study was done in collaboration with Durham University and a charity, Medical Detection Dogs.

Hailed as the most comprehensive study to date combining dog trial, odour analysis, and modelling, it found that dogs specially trained for the job can detect the disease rapidly and non-invasively with up to 94.3 per cent sensitivity and up to 92 per cent specificity.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dogs-can-detect-covid-19-among-humans-in-less-than-a-second-uk-study-finds-387127">Dogs can detect COVID-19 among humans in less than a second, UK study finds</a>

Dogs involved in the study were able to detect odour from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, including those infected with two different COVID-19 strains and those with both high and low viral loads.

Professor James Logan, Head of the Department of Disease Control at LSHTM, who led the project, said the presence of the new strains poses a threat to the country for some time to come, adding "that's where these amazing dogs could play a role."

This method can detect COVID-19 in large groups of people with great speed and accuracy, even in asymptomatic cases. However, more testing is needed to determine whether the dogs will replicate these results in a real-world setting. However, the results of the study are extremely encouraging, he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-researchers-test-dogs-ability-to-sniff-out-covid-19-299001">UK researchers test dogs' ability to sniff out COVID-19</a>

Researchers trained the dogs at Medical Detection Dogs to identify COVID-19 using body odour samples sent by members of the public and National Health Service (NHS) staff, which included masks, socks, and t-shirts. LSHTM collected and analyzed 3,758 samples, choosing 325 positives and 675 negative specimens for testing.

According to Dr Claire Guest, Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection Dogs, it is clear that dogs are a reliable biosensor for detecting human disease odours and as evidenced by the study&nbsp;dogs have the potential to significantly aid in the fight against COVID-19.

"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 socialise with family and friends," she said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/are-dogs-going-to-help-prevent-a-global-second-wave-of-covid-19-288792">Are dogs going to help prevent a global second wave of COVID-19?</a>

An accompanying mathematical model confirms the possibility of using dogs to screen plane passengers at ports of entry or other sites, with preliminary work suggesting that two dogs could screen 300 passengers during a "Rapid Screen and Test" implementation.

A PCR test would only be necessary for individuals identified by dogs.

When Bio Detection dogs are used in conjunction with a confirmatory PCR test, it's estimated that there will be more onward transmissions detected and prevented compared to isolating symptomatic individuals only.

(With inputs from agencies)

New research in the UK has found that trained dogs have high levels of accuracy when it comes to smelling the distinct odour of people who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

New research in the UK has found that trained dogs have high levels of accuracy when it comes to smelling the distinct odour of people who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), this study was done in collaboration with Durham University and a charity, Medical Detection Dogs. Hailed as the most comprehensive study to date combining dog trial, odour analysis, and modelling, it found that dogs specially trained for the job can detect the disease rapidly and non-invasively with up to 94.3 per cent sensitivity and up to 92 per cent specificity. Also read | Dogs can detect COVID-19 among humans in less than a second, UK study finds Dogs involved in the study were able to detect odour from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, including those infected with two different COVID-19 strains and those with both high and low viral loads. Professor James Logan, Head of the Department of Disease Control at LSHTM, who led the project, said the presence of the new strains poses a threat to the country for some time to come, adding "that's where these amazing dogs could play a role." This method can detect COVID-19 in large groups of people with great speed and accuracy, even in asymptomatic cases. However, more testing is needed to determine whether the dogs will replicate these results in a real-world setting. However, the results of the study are extremely encouraging, he added. Also read | UK researchers test dogs' ability to sniff out COVID-19 Researchers trained the dogs at Medical Detection Dogs to identify COVID-19 using body odour samples sent by members of the public and National Health Service (NHS) staff, which included masks, socks, and t-shirts. LSHTM collected and analyzed 3,758 samples, choosing 325 positives and 675 negative specimens for testing. According to Dr Claire Guest, Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection Dogs, it is clear that dogs are a reliable biosensor for detecting human disease odours and as evidenced by the study dogs have the potential to significantly aid in the fight against COVID-19. "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 socialise with family and friends," she said. Also read | Are dogs going to help prevent a global second wave of COVID-19? An accompanying mathematical model confirms the possibility of using dogs to screen plane passengers at ports of entry or other sites, with preliminary work suggesting that two dogs could screen 300 passengers during a "Rapid Screen and Test" implementation. A PCR test would only be necessary for individuals identified by dogs. When Bio Detection dogs are used in conjunction with a confirmatory PCR test, it's estimated that there will be more onward transmissions detected and prevented compared to isolating symptomatic individuals only. (With inputs from agencies)

New study suggests dogs can be used to detect COVID-19

Dogs trained to detect the novel coronavirus began sniffing passenger samples at Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport this week, authorities said, in a pilot project running alongside more usual testing at the airport.

The dogs’ efficiency has not been proven in comparative scientific studies so passengers who volunteer to be tested and are suspected as carrying the virus are instructed to also take a swab to confirm the result.

A team of 15 dogs and 10 instructors are being trained for the job in Finland by volunteers, sponsored by a private veterinary clinic. Among them is Kossi, a rescue dog from Spain, who was trained as a sniffer dog in Finland and who has worked before detecting cancers.

“What we’ve seen in our research is that the dogs will find (the disease) five days before they (patients) get any clinical symptoms,” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, who is Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki and spesialised in clinical research for companion animals, told Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sniffer-alert-bosnia-trains-dogs-for-mine-detection-330369">Also read|&nbsp;Sniffer alert: Bosnia trains dogs for mine-detection</a>

“They are very good (at it). We come close to 100-percent sensitivity,” she said, referring to the dogs’s ability to detect cases of the virus.

In the canine test, a passenger swipes their neck with a gauze, places it in a can which is then handed over to another room for a dog to sniff and to deliver an immediate result.

A few months ago, authorities in the United Arab Emirates embarked on similar canine testing at Dubai International Airport using police dogs.

“In the future, it’s also possible... that these dogs go around passengers in a similar way to customs dogs,” Vantaa deputy mayor Timo Aronkyto, said.

Dogs trained to detect the novel coronavirus began sniffing passenger samples at Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport this week, authorities said, in a pilot project running alongside more usual testing at the airport.

Dogs trained to detect the novel coronavirus began sniffing passenger samples at Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport this week, authorities said, in a pilot project running alongside more usual testing at the airport. The dogs’ efficiency has not been proven in comparative scientific studies so passengers who volunteer to be tested and are suspected as carrying the virus are instructed to also take a swab to confirm the result. A team of 15 dogs and 10 instructors are being trained for the job in Finland by volunteers, sponsored by a private veterinary clinic. Among them is Kossi, a rescue dog from Spain, who was trained as a sniffer dog in Finland and who has worked before detecting cancers. “What we’ve seen in our research is that the dogs will find (the disease) five days before they (patients) get any clinical symptoms,” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, who is Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki and spesialised in clinical research for companion animals, told Reuters. Also read| Sniffer alert: Bosnia trains dogs for mine-detection “They are very good (at it). We come close to 100-percent sensitivity,” she said, referring to the dogs’s ability to detect cases of the virus. In the canine test, a passenger swipes their neck with a gauze, places it in a can which is then handed over to another room for a dog to sniff and to deliver an immediate result. A few months ago, authorities in the United Arab Emirates embarked on similar canine testing at Dubai International Airport using police dogs. “In the future, it’s also possible... that these dogs go around passengers in a similar way to customs dogs,” Vantaa deputy mayor Timo Aronkyto, said.

Dogs used to detect coronavirus in pilot project at Helsinki airport

According to a study by the German Veterinary University, dogs with a few days of training are able to identify those infected with coronavirus.

Dogs to sniff out COVID-19 patients?