Paris: A recent study in France found that trained dogs were able to detect COVID-19 diagnoses than scientific tests. Results of the study, which were published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One on June 1, showed that dogs detected the virus with 97% to 100% accuracy by smelling a participant’s sweat.

To compare, the nasal swab COVID-19 tests that were used in the study were only 84% accurate compared to the results yielded by the dogs.

Researchers conducted the experiment at the Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine using dogs loaned from a French fire department and from the Ministry of the Interior of the United Emirates.

A total of 335 (143 symptomatic and 192 asymptomatic) adults participated in the experiment. Using the nasal swab test, 109 out of 335 adults tested positive for COVID-19 and of those 109, 31 were asymptomatic.

The dogs were less accurate in detecting patients who tested negative for COVID-19 compared to the lab tests.

The study’s authors claimed the results of the experiment could provide a faster and less invasive alternative to detecting COVID-19 but noted the limitations such as the limited supply of properly trained dogs and some of the participants’ fear of the animals.

"Further studies will be focused on direct sniffing by dogs to evaluate sniffer dogs for mass pre-test in airports, harbors, railways stations, cultural activities or sporting events," researchers said.