Munich: German scientists have trained sniffer dogs to detect the presence of corona virus by simply sniffing a sample taken from a person. These dogs have a 94% chance of detecting the corona virus.
The latest online issue of the Open Access Research Journal, BMC Infectious Diseases, published a pilot study by experts from the University of Hanover, Germany, which found that eight sniffer dogs were additionally infected with the corona virus. Samples were trained for one week for sniffing and identification.
During this time, they were able to identify the presence of corona virus by collecting 1,012 samples of saliva from the lungs.
In the next phase, several samples were placed in front of them for testing, some of which were healthy and some of which were infected with the novel corona virus. Even the participants in the experiment did not know the origin of the samples, whether they were infected with the corona virus or not.
The dogs' performance was amazing as they accurately identified 949 of the 1,012 specimens in the test; Thus, their ability to detect corona virus by sniffing alone was 94%.
It should be noted that it is common today for dogs to detect hidden explosives and drugs in sensitive areas, especially at airports.
Considering the amazing and extraordinary ability of sniffing in dogs, medical experts have now begun their efforts to help identify many diseases, including cancer and malaria, just by sniffing. Because it will save a lot of time and money.
So far, however, dogs have not been able to formally diagnose the disease. Although the efforts of German experts are promising, many other complications still need to be addressed in its widespread use.
