New COVID-19 test involves anal swab

There has been an introduction of anal swabs in China, as new type of coronavirus test that could detect the virus more accurately.

This came as a result of the rise in COBID-19 virus in China, as the Chinese authorities struggle to contain infections ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations,

The anal tests were reserved for high risk cases according to reports from State-run channel CCTV, as some individuals who were tested through the new swab were surprise by the new method.

Passengers arriving in China’s capital Beijing, of quarantine centers, residents, local officials, a group of more than 1,000 schoolchildren and teachers believed to be exposed to the virus.

The new test  swab, involves inserting a cotton-tipped swab about 1-2 inches into the rectum, which will then be tested for the virus.

The anal swab tests could be more accurate than nose or throat tests, according to the Li Tongzeng, deputy director of the respiratory and infectious diseases department at Beijing You An Hospital.

Tongzeng said studies show that the virus can lasts longer in the anus or excrement than in the respiratory tract and that an anal test could be better at identifying the disease in mild or asymptomatic cases.

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