In a proof-of-concept study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine, dogs identified positive samples with 96% accuracy.

April 14, 2021

Many long for a return to a post-pandemic “normal,” which, for some, may entail concerts, travel, and large gatherings. But how to keep safe amid these potential public health risks?
Poncho, a two-and-a-half year old yellow Labrador retriever, was one of the dogs trained in a Penn Vet-led study to see if his and his fellow canines’ sensitive noses could discriminate positive from negative SARS-CoV-2 samples.

One possibility, according to a new study, is dogs. A proof-of-concept investigation published today in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that specially trained detection dogs can sniff out COVID-19-positive samples with 96% accuracy.