In a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics, it was revealed that scent dogs achieved an 83% sensitivity and 90% specificity in detecting COVID-19 infection through nearly 3,900 screenings conducted at California K-12 schools during the spring of 2022.
This positive result is consistent with a recent study published in De Gruyter's Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, which implies that scent dogs may provide a more cost-effective, quick, and efficient method of COVID-19 detection. The paper goes on to say that scent dogs might be a helpful tool in future pandemics, with equivalent or greater efficacy than traditional COVID-19 testing like RT-PCR.
One Betta, a Dutch Shepard, sniffs a mask for the scent of COVID-19 at Miami International Airport on September 08, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Scent Dogs Successfully Sniffed Out COVID-19
Dogs possess an exceptional sense of smell, with up to 300 million olfactory cells compared to the 5 or 6 million found in humans. They dedicate one-third of their brains to processing scent information, in contrast to the mere 5% allocated by humans.
Through training, dogs have exhibited the ability to identify specific volatile organic compounds associated with various diseases, successfully detecting certain cancers, Parkinson's, and diabetes.
According to the news release via EurekAlert!, Professor Tommy Dickey of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Heather Junqueira of BioScent Detection Canines conducted a study of 29 research involving canines for COVID-19 detection.
Over 31,000 samples were evaluated in these research, which were conducted by over 400 scientists from more than 30 nations using 19 different dog breeds. Some research employed canines smelling people directly, such as public health checks, while others used patient samples such as perspiration, saliva, or urine.
The majority of studies revealed that scent dogs demonstrated comparable or even superior sensitivity and specificity to the current gold-standard RT-PCR or antigen tests. Notably, four dogs were able to detect viral RNA at an extremely low concentration, surpassing the capabilities of modern scientific instruments by three orders of magnitude.
Scent dogs detected COVID-19 in symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals, as well as novel variations and cases of protracted COVID. Another advantage was the canines' extraordinary speed, which provided findings in seconds to minutes without the need for expensive laboratory equipment or adding to the plastic trash created by traditional diagnostic procedures.
READ ALSO: Can Dogs Really Smell COVID-19? Here's What Science Reveals
Scent Dogs as Diagnostic Tool
Professor Dickey emphasized that scent dogs, previously regarded as fascinating but not ready for practical medical use, should be recognized as a valuable diagnostic tool, particularly during pandemics.
As per Medical Xpress' report, the researchers envision the integration of scent dogs into rapid health screenings in public spaces, highlighting their potential for detecting a wide range of diseases.
The comprehensive international research on scent dogs for COVID-19 detection, as outlined in the review, signifies a significant step towards the adoption of these remarkable animals in mainstream medical applications.
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