Chinese health authorities are taking COVID-19 testing to a new level, with the introduction of anal swabs that they say can more accurately detect the virus.
Although the tests supposedly are reserved for “high-risk cases,” news reports said some people, such as passengers arriving in Beijing and residents of quarantine centers may get a “surprise test.”
To administer the test, a swab is inserted into the rectum about 1 to 2 inches. Officials say they believe this test is better because the virus lasts longer in the anus than in the respiratory tract.
SOURCE: Forbes January 27, 2021