Dogs may be better at detecting COVID-19 than nasal PCR tests, study finds

A sniffer dog is tested for its ability to detect Covid-19 at the training center in Istanbul in January. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Trained dogs may be able to detect Covid-19 more effectively than nasal swab PCR tests, according to new research.

A study published on Wednesday by the peer-reviewed Plos One journal found that canines were able to better detect the presence of Covid than PCR antigenic tests in both symptomatic and asymptomatic people.