China Introduces New Anal Swab Coronavirus test
As the number of COVID cases rise again in China, the authorities have introduced a new method of detecting the virus. According to officials, the new anal swabs detection method can accurately detect the virus than the currently employed methods where detection is done through the respiratory tract via throat and nose. The new method has been introduced as the country is preparing to celebrate Lunar New Year in a big manner—the fear of a surge in cases is imminent.
According to CCTV, a state-owned media channel, this new detection method is employed for detecting the Coronavirus only in patients that pose a high risk of spreading the virus. However, there is a lack of consensus whether this new method works—for now, random people are tested using anal swabs, including some people from quarantine centers and passengers who have arrived in Beijing.
To conduct the procedure, a cotton swab is inserted into the rectum (1-2 inches deep), and then is taken to the lab for further testing and examination. Authorities claim that this method of detecting the coronavirus is more accurate than the currently employed nose and respiratory tract detection methods. Li Tongzeng, who is Deputy Director of the respiratory and infectious disease department at You An Hospital in Beijing, claims that the virus lasts for more time in excrement than in the nose or respiratory tract, and hence, this new method is far more reliable.