Dogs are being trained to detect if individuals have COVID-19.

Press releases by the veterinary division of the University of Pennsylvania and LSHTM prove that dogs are being trained to detect COVID-19 in humans.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) press release states that medical detection dogs could help identify coronavirus cases in humans. Medical detection dogs are already being used to identify cancer, malaria, and Parkinson's. As of 27 March 2020, the team at LSHTM had begun preparations to train dogs so they could be ready in six weeks to help provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis.

As per the press release by The University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine dated 28 April 2020, a new program has been started to train scent detection dogs to discriminate between samples from COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative patients. The school said the training started with dogs sniffing out a smell to get a treat. The dogs would then begin to use samples from patients who have tested both positive and negative for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.

Reference links

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

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University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

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The Washington Post

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