China conducts anal corona tests: Hope they don’t reuse the stick
China will now also conduct anal corona tests. These would provide more accurate results than smears from the nose or throat, although not all doctors agree. What is certain is that the test method provokes a lot of uncomfortable reactions on social media.
In small-scale corona outbreaks, China responds by shutting off areas and testing residents on a large scale. These tests usually are through the nose and throat, but state media reports that residents of some Beijing neighborhoods had an anal test with a swab last week.
The tests are already being used in quarantine centers.
A Chinese doctor explained to state channel CCTV that traces of the virus can be found longer in the anus than in the airways, but not all experts agree with him.
The Global Times newspaper writes that the new test method’s effectiveness is debatable, and a scientist from Wuhan University also says that testing via the nose and throat is still the most efficient.
Social media is eager to joke about the testing policy. For example, someone posted on the Weibo news site: “I did two anal tests and then had to do a throat test. I was so afraid that the nurse would forget to take a new test stick.”
