“We had them recognize samples of the smells of healthy people and non-infectious samples of those infected. They then determined the correct sample, for example by barking or by lying down. During testing, there has been no confusion or marking, “said Práva, a cynologist from Most, who has trained two dogs in this way so far. The other two are in the preparation phase.
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Everyone could take it from the comfort of their home. The result would be known within a few hours, the resolution of the dog takes a few seconds.
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According to Hotový, the use in practice could look like a patient with a suspected covid-19 infection taking a sample to sniff the dog at home himself. He would wipe himself with a cloth and put it in a sterile glass.
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“Everyone could take it from the comfort of their home. He wouldn’t have to give up blood or saliva. Just deliver the swab from the human body in a special container to the lab. The result would be known within a few hours, the resolution of the dog takes a few seconds, “said Hotový. According to the cynologist, it would be possible to assess 20,000 samples a day.
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Another expected advantage is that this method so far seems to be much more accurate than the most commonly used method of PCR tests, which is reported to have a success rate of 80 percent. “In this case, the accuracy could be around 90 percent or more,” the cynologist stressed. They need samples
for training
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Ministries? We don’t know anything
The multidisciplinary research arose from the initiative of the non-profit organization Search and Rescue Czech Republic, which, among other things, deals with special dog training. Experts from the Prague Hospital in Bulovka are also involved in the cooperation, which provides the team with samples for research.
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However, due to the increase in cases, health professionals now do not have time to take samples from volunteers. “Currently, we have samples for a month. At the same time, dogs must always have samples available so that they can train their skills, otherwise they will forget them. The training would then have to start from scratch, “said Hotový, who therefore turned to the Ministries of Health and Interior for cooperation.
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It reacted after months of disinterest on Tuesday, saying it had no idea about the project. “I explained to them what it was all about. We’ll see if it moves somewhere, “Hotový hoped, believing that sooner or later he would agree on cooperation with the Ministry of Health. According to him, it is in the interest of the whole society.
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