Sniffer dogs performance is stable over time in detecting COVID-19 positive samples
This study evaluated the performance of Getxent tubes in collecting the odor of patients to:
- Train dogs to detect COVID-19.
- Determine if the volunteers are infected with COVID-19.
To do this, the volunteers were asked to hold a Getxent tube under each armpit for 20 minutes.
The results are:
- Laboratory tests showed 93% sensitivity and 99% specificity, which is better than Rapid Antigen Diagnostic (RAD) tests.
- When sniffing people directly, dogs achieved 89% sensitivity and 95% specificity, similar to RAD tests.
COVID-19 detection dogs perform better than or similarly to Rapid Antigen Diagnostic tests when trained with Getxent tubes and odor samples collected by Getxent tubes while providing several advantages:
- Cause minimal discomfort to patients.
- Are inexpensive to perform.
- Are easy to administer.
- Can be implemented for mass detection, where conventional testing is not feasible or easily accessible.
- Can be deployed faster as a first response to new threats or future pandemics.
