CORONAVIRUS

Dogs were on scent of Covid a week before positive tests

K9 Detection sniffer dogs can detect coronavirus from the first day of infection, before conventional tests pick it up
K9 Detection sniffer dogs can detect coronavirus from the first day of infection, before conventional tests pick it up
JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE/GETTY IMAGES

Sniffer dogs detected cases of Covid-19 more than a week before they were picked up by a conventional nasal swab in trials at a Belgian football club.

The pilot carried out by the K9 Detection sniffer dog company bore “spectacular” results. Over several months, KV Oostende players were tested both with the PCR test and with swabs taken from their armpits and sniffed by the specially trained dogs.

“In 99.5 per cent of the cases, our finding was in line with the result of the PCR test,” K9’s Johan Weckhuyzen told De Standaard.

The dogs, though, were responding much quicker. The trials have established that the “corona odour” dogs detect is present from the first day of infection, before conventional tests pick up the