Health

Chinese Cities Using Anal Swabs To Screen COVID-19 Infections

As China steps up screening to ensure that no possible carrier of the latest coronavirus is missed in the midst of regional outbreaks and before the Lunar New Year holidays, several Chinese cities are using samples taken from the anus to better identify COVID-19 infections.

In Weinan, a town in northern Shaanxi province, a throat swab on a 52-year-old man returned negative results after the individual showed symptoms such as coughing and lack of appetite, a city official said on Wednesday, but he tested positive using nose and anal swabs.

The individual, who was placed as a near-contact of another carrier in a centralized medical observation facility earlier this month, was then registered as a COVID-19 patient, the official told a news conference.

Anal swabs need a 3 to 5 centimeter (1.2 to 2.0 inch) cotton swab to be placed into the anus and gently rotated.

Last week, a Beijing city official said that after an infection was identified, anal swabs were taken from over 1,000 teachers, workers, and students at a primary school in the city – their nose and throat swabs and serum samples were also collected for testing.

Last week, Li Tongzeng, a respiratory and infectious disease doctor in Beijing City, told state TV that extensive tests using anal swabs would prevent overlooked infections, as virus traces in bowel or anal swabs may remain detectable for a longer period than in samples taken from the upper respiratory tract. He added that such samples only necessarily apply to key classes, such as those in quarantine.

In a paper published last year, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said that stool testing might be more accurate than respiratory testing in detecting COVID-19 infections in children and infants because they bear a higher viral load in their stools than adults.

Source: Reuters

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Not Just Big Sales Anymore, Lazada Drops Daily Deals

Gone are the days when online shopping was just about big monthly sales and surprise… Read More

12 hours ago

Red Army Watches Malaysia & SEVENFRIDAY Celebrate Merdeka with a Limited-Edition Riley Bear in Batik

In celebration of Malaysia’s Independence Day and Malaysia Day 2025, Red Army Watches Malaysia is… Read More

14 hours ago

HABIB Celebrates Malaysia’s Heritage with Modern Sparkle This Merdeka

Malaysia’s homegrown jeweller, HABIB, returns with its iconic Jualan Merdeka campaign, running nationwide from now… Read More

14 hours ago

Sacoor Brothers Reimagines Luxury with New Flagship Boutique at Suria KLCC

Portuguese luxury fashion house Sacoor Brothers has unveiled its newly redesigned flagship boutique at Suria… Read More

14 hours ago

Casio x The Sandbox: G-SHOCK Is Now in the Metaverse

Brace yourself, your favorite tough-as-nails watch just got a futuristic makeover. Casio is teaming up… Read More

18 hours ago

Pandora’s “Colour Pop” Collection Is Serving Summer Energy in Every Sparkle

Looking to brighten up your style this summer? Pandora's latest “Colour Pop” collection is bringing… Read More

18 hours ago

This website uses cookies.