Anal swabs to test covid -19 in china

In a bold move of trying to stem the Covid -19 epidemic, China has started using anal swabs.

The Chinese broadcaster CCTV reported that inhabitants within neighborhoods verified of Covid-19 cases got their swabs taken from the backside. Patients who are most at high risk and those in chosen quarantine facilities have already had the swab already.

China has been experiencing flair-ups in past weeks that prompted cities in the northern part of china to be locked down.  Additionally, the country also kicked up large-scale testing campaigns which mostly would be done using nose and through swabs.

A doctor from the Youan Hospital in Beijing claimed that these backside swabs can surge the detection rate. Mr. Li Tongzeng insisted that the virus remains longer in the anus than the respiratory tract.

While speaking to CCTV, he explained that asymptomatic patients recovering quickly won’t have any traces of the virus in their airways within 3 – 5 days. However, if we conduct anal swabs using the nucleic acid test there are lower chances of a missed diagnosis.

The efficacy of this type of swab remains controversial among experts. Dr. Yang from the pathogen department in Wuhan University says the nasal and throat test remain the most efficient,

He admitted to some patients testing positive after the anal swab but says no evidence the virus was transmitted through the digestive tract.

As covid-19 cases rise around the world, China has laid down stricter requirements on international arrivals. Visitors arriving in the country have to provide multiple results as well as quarantine for 14days.

Furthermore in a designated hotel with many cities also  imposing additional observational requirement in a bid to stem down domestic infections.