Sibiu: Dogs trained to detect Covid infection, 100% success rate

Six dogs specially trained to detect the infection with the new coronavirus recognized, in proportion of 100%, the positive samples, within a pilot research project, carried out by the Infectious Diseases Hospital "Victor Babes" from Timisoara and the Dog Center "Doctor Aurel Greblea "from Sibiu.

The head of the Infectious Diseases Department at the "Victor Babes" Hospital, Virgil Musta, told Radio Romania News that these results exceeded his expectations:

Virgil Musta: It was impressive. All dogs, in one hundred percent, recognized these samples. Moreover, after covering all the samples with a perfume, the dogs were still able to identify the positive ones. It was found that the dogs were able to detect people who did not yet have a positive test. For example, they noticed something odd in a negative test and, from curiosity, the person was tested after two days and it was found that the person is indeed positive.

Host: Virgil Musta also talked about the places where these dogs will be used.

Virgil Musta: At airports or in customs areas, where there are people who enter the country and who according to the rules have negative tests, but they could be during the incubation period of the virus and if the dogs detect them positively, they will take a test and if it is confirmed that the it is positive, they will not be received in the country or they will be quarantined, just to avoid creating a risk of infection.

Translated by: Radu Matei