China introduced a new method of coronavirus testing for those in quarantine which the country says is more accurate.
China said people who have tested positive continue to test positive for coronavirus through anal swab samples while testing negative through throat samples, according to state-run media, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
China rolls out anal swab coronavirus tests, saying it’s more accurate than throat method https://t.co/TZoA17mgbM
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 27, 2021
“Everyone involved will be so embarrassed,” a Weibo user said, according to the Washington Post.
80% of respondents to a poll on the social media platform said they “could not accept” the new testing method, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Study Seems To Show Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine Only 50% Effective, Prompting Clarification From China)
Chinese infectious disease experts believe the method could raise the rate of identifying people with coronavirus, according to the outlet. However, Chinese doctors believe the new testing method only makes sense in select groups, according to the Washington Post.
“If we add anal swab testing, it can raise our rate of identifying infected patients,” infectious-disease specialist Li Tongzeng said on state-run broadcaster CCTV on Sunday, Washington Post reported. “But of course considering that collecting anal swabs is not as convenient as throat swabs, at the moment only key groups such as those in quarantine receive both.”
The method of anal swab testing was published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in March, according to the Washington Post. If a stool sample cannot be collected, an anal swab should be inserted one to two inches into the rectum, the outlet reported.