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Dogs are reportedly being trained to sniff out Covid on incoming passengers at Australian airports.

Adelaide University researcher Susan Hazel told Australian Associated Press that the dogs had been trained to detect a certain odor in sweat samples. The goal is to use the dogs, alongside PCR tests, to test international passengers starting early next year.

"We've done it in training and our next step will be to deploy in airports with incoming international passengers," she explained.

Hazel added, “"The benefit will be, once we can prove that it is working, that they could be used without the other testing, they could be used for initial screening."

She said that international studies had also indicated that the dogs may be able to detect pre-symptomatic cases of the virus.

"When they've gone back and retested the people they've been positive," she said.

"So it looked like they were pre-symptomatic, so the dogs may be able to pick up people before they can be picked up with the other tests."

The project is a collaboration between Adelaide University, Australian Border Force, Biosecurity, emergency services and international partners, according to the report.