(Summit News) - China has made COVID-19 anal swab tests mandatory for nearly all international arrivals despite complaints that the procedure is humiliating.
The tests will be required for all travelers arriving at Beijing and Shanghai airports before they are allowed to enter the country.
Despite the degrading nature of the procedure, Chinese health authorities claim it is more effective at identifying COVID-19 than nasal swabs.
“The same procedure applies to visitors who came from countries where COVID-19 cases are high or they tested positive upon arrival,” reports IB Times. “If a person shows symptoms of diarrhea, he or she must also get an anal swab.”
An alternative may be offered where travelers can provide stool samples instead, a procedure that is almost as humiliating anyway.
“If people are not familiar with the procedure for taking an anal swab test, our employees will help explain how it will be done,” a representative for the epidemic control department in the Daxing district of Beijing said.
As we highlighted earlier this week, Tokyo has asked Beijing to stop performing COVID-19 anal swabs on its citizens after complaints that the procedure causes “psychological pain.”
Reports also emerged that U.S. diplomatic staff had been forced to undergo this procedure, although China initially denied this then claimed it was an “error”.
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