[ExI] Dogs can detect COVID in human sweat

[Stuart LaForge]

This is pretty good news for COVID testing especially since it is so  
quick and accurate.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/dogs-can-smell-covid-19-in-human-sweat/?fbclid=IwAR30Z3IKdEtvxlFUsr6CaRhMKRGiwf433Xx3qgGlZKPyvskrDksmYzO6D78#.XuhIffepqUA.facebook

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.03.132134v1.full

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Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate if the sweat produced by COVID-19  
persons (SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive) has a different odour for trained  
detection dogs than the sweat produced by non COVID-19 persons. The  
study was conducted on 3 sites, following the same protocol  
procedures, and involved a total of 18 dogs. A total of 198 armpits  
sweat samples were obtained from different hospitals. For each  
involved dog, the acquisition of the specific odour of COVID-19 sweat  
samples required from one to four hours, with an amount of positive  
samples sniffing ranging from four to ten. For this proof of concept,  
we kept 8 dogs of the initial group (explosive detection dogs and  
colon cancer detection dogs), who performed a total of 368 trials, and  
will include the other dogs in our future studies as their adaptation  
to samples scenting takes more time.

The percentages of success of the dogs to find the positive sample in  
a line containing several other negative samples or mocks (2 to 6)  
were 100/100 for 4 dogs, and respectively 83/100, 84/100, 90/100 and  
94/100 for the others, all significantly different from the percentage  
of success that would be obtained by chance alone.

We conclude that there is a very high evidence that the armpits sweat  
odour of COVID-19+ persons is different, and that dogs can detect a  
person infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Stuart LaForge