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J Public Health (Oxf)

Title:		New method of screening for COVID-19 disease using sniffer dogs and scents from axillary sweat samples
Author(s):		Sarkis R; Lichaa A; Mjaess G; Saliba M; Selman C; Lecoq-Julien C; Grandjean D; Jabbour NM;
Address:		"Faculty of Medicine, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, University of Saint Joseph, 17-5208 Beirut, Lebanon. Faculty of Medicine, Rafiq Hariri Hospital, Lebanese University, 65-7314 Beirut, Lebanon. National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris 94704, France. Vitreous & Retina Service, WVU Eye Institute, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA"
Journal Title:		J Public Health (Oxf)
Year:		2022
Volume:		44
Issue:		1
Page Number:		e36 - e41
DOI:		10.1093/pubmed/fdab215
ISSN/ISBN:		1741-3850 (Electronic) 1741-3842 (Linking)
Abstract:		"BACKGROUND: Early screening for COVID-19 is needed to limit the spread of the virus. The aim of this study is to test if the sniffer dogs can be successfully trained to identify subjects with COVID-19 for 'proof of concept' and 'non-inferiority' against PCR. We are calling this method, Dognosis (DN). METHODS: Four hundred and fifty-nine subjects were included, 256 (Group 'P') were known cases of COVID-19 (PCR positive, some with and some without symptoms) and 203 (Group 'C') were PCR negative and asymptomatic (control). Samples were obtained from the axillary sweat of each subject in a masked fashion. Two dogs trained to detect specific Volatile Organic Compounds for COVID-19 detection were used to test each sample. RESULTS: [DN] turned out positive (+) in all the cases that were PCR positive (100% sensitivity). On the other hand, [DN] turned positive (+) in an average of 12.5 cases (6.2%) that were initially PCR negative (apparent specificity of 93.8%). When the PCR was repeated, true specificity was 97.2%. These parameters varied in subgroups from 100% sensitivity and 99% specificity in symptomatic patients to 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity in asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: DN method shows high sensitivity and specificity in screening COVID-19 patients"
Keywords:		Animals *COVID-19/diagnosis/epidemiology Dogs Humans Odorants SARS-CoV-2 Sensitivity and Specificity Sweat Working Dogs Covid-19 Pcr airport axillary sweat sniffer dogs;
Notes:		"MedlineSarkis, Riad Lichaa, Anthony Mjaess, Georges Saliba, Michele Selman, Carlo Lecoq-Julien, Clothilde Grandjean, Dominique Jabbour, Nabil M eng Saint Joseph University/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2021/06/25 J Public Health (Oxf). 2022 Mar 7; 44(1):e36-e41. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab215"