And you thought the nasal test was uncomfortable …
China is using anal swabs to test its residents for COVID-19 amid a new wave of the outbreak – and local experts say the method is a more accurate way to detect the bug, a report said.
The derriere detection method is more commonly used in Beijing after a 9-year-old boy tested positive for the highly contagious British variant of the virus last month, Newsweek reported.
But since last year, anal swabs have been used there, reserved for those living in COVID-19 hotspots like Shanghai. Nose and throat swabs remain the most popular methods according to the outlet because of their ease and speed.
“Of course, anal swabs aren’t as useful as throat swabs, so they’re only used on people in key quarantine areas,” said Li Tongzeng of Beijing You’an Hospital, according to Newsweek. “This will reduce the return of false positives.”
The cotton swabs are inserted 3 to 5 centimeters 1.2 to 2 inches into the rectum according to the outlet.
Tongzeng said the method can increase the speed of detection and reduce the chance of missing a diagnosis.
“What we have found is that in some infected patients, the coronavirus survives longer in their digestive tract or feces than in their airways,” Tongzeng told the outlet.