Detection of Asymptomatic SARS-Cov2 Infected Patients by Detection Dogs: "Proof of Concept" Study

The spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to a pandemic. Described for the first time in China at the end of 2019, it causes Covid-19 disease. Its characteristics in terms of contagiousness and lethality have led countries to adapt their screening and care strategies.

Early and accurate identification of people infected with SARs-CoV-2 is an essential measure to confront Covid-19 pandemic. A key aspect of Covid-19 is that diagnostic tests must be able to detect the virus in asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and symptomatic patients.

Changes in human odor, as symptoms of specific diseases, have been observed. Dogs have already been used to detect breast or lung cancer, diabetes, epilepsy or kidney disease with some success There is currently a growing body of research and previous work, though preliminary, indicating the possibility that dogs identify persons infected with Sars-Cov-2 compared to healthy persons.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether trained detection dogs are able to identify asymptomatic patients infected by Sars-Cov-2.

The investigators aim to validate the possibility to identify / discriminate patients with Covid-19 according to their odor by a proof of concept (with specificity and sensitivity of the detection test), i.e. new non-invasive screening method using dogs odor detection capabilities.