The Chinese recently made use of anal swabs to examine patients for COVID-19.
This new testing method is coming as China now sees an increase in new cases of coronavirus ahead of their annual lunar New Year celebrations.
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The Hill reports that Chinese health workers only perform the COVID-19 anal swab tests on patients who are considered high-risk. Forbes notes, however, that some individuals have had to take a surprising anal test, including airline passengers who recently arrived in Beijing, as well as more than 1,000 children and teachers at a local school who were allegedly exposed to the virus.
WebMD explains that the test involves the insertion of a waterproof salt that is approximately one to two inches into the person’s rectum to obtain a proper sample.
Li Tonzeng, deputy director of the Respiratory and Infectious Diseases Division at Beijing Youan Hospital, explains that the results of these anal swab tests appear more accurate than those performed nasally. This may be due to the fact that the coronavirus lives longer in feces or the anal canal than in the respiratory tract.
Some studies also found that although some patients tested negative for the coronavirus after drying their throats, they tested positive after receiving the anal swabs.
However, Bloomberg further reports that there is no clear evidence that disease transmission is more common in those who are positive in their anuses.
Anal swabbing has also not been implemented in places like New Zealand that have almost wiped out the presence of the coronavirus.