Why Anal Swab Ala China Sparks Rejection And Outrage

Photo illustration (Mufid Majnun / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The new anal swab test protocol introduced by the Chinese government in the last few days provoked widespread discussion which was accompanied by anger. For many, that protocol goes too far, given that it was announced after one pandemic year. Anal swab tests are also considered to erode dignity a little.

Even Chinese doctors who endorse this test acknowledge the inconvenience of this method. Several Chinese doctors explained that in a study, it was seen that patients who recovered from COVID-19 then got positive test results after going through a swab test on the lower digestive tract.

The results were obtained a few days after the nose and throat swab test which showed negative results. This suggests that it makes sense for this method to be used only in certain groups, such as in quarantine centers.

"If we add this anal swab test, it can increase the level of identifying infected patients," said Li Tongzeng, an infectious disease specialist at Beijing You'an Hospital.

"But of course, given that collecting anal swabs is not as comfortable as throat swabs, currently only key groups like those in quarantine accept both," he added.

After a year of the pandemic

The new protocol comes more than a year after the virus that causes COVID-19 began to spread rapidly in the country, according to the Washington Post. Chinese officials are worried about the approaching Lunar New Year next month, which is often described as the world's largest annual migration.

About three billion trips were made during holidays in a non-pandemic year. That means a single case of COVID-19 can quickly spread across the country.

China is trying to vaccinate 50 million people before the holidays. But that's less than four percent of the population, a level too low to prevent mass transmission.

Chinese officials have tightened restrictions in recent weeks, with tens of millions of people returning to self-isolation in outbreak areas. As before, travelers arriving from overseas immediately undergo two weeks of hotel quarantine. But now one week of home quarantine has been added, as well as one week of daily reports to health officials.

Photo illustration (Source: Unsplash)

China tried the testing procedure with anal swabs in small groups last year, with the results circulating in research journals. A group of Chinese researchers published a study in the journal Future Microbiology in August that reported that for some recovered coronavirus patients, anal swab samples were still positive for COVID-19 after they tested negative via throat swabs.

As for the test process being carried out, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued instructions in March 2020. It said the samples were feces from the patient. If that's not possible, perform an anal swab by inserting a three to five-centimeter cotton-tipped stick into the rectum.

In recent days, state-run tabloid Global Times noted that the procedure was controversial. Some doctors say nose and throat swabs are more effective because the coronavirus is a respiratory infection.

The Global Times, citing Yang Zhanqiu, a pathologist at Wuhan University, as saying that there have been cases of positive coronavirus tests in patient feces. But there is no evidence to suggest that it is transmitted through any of the digestive systems.

Negative public reaction

For some people, just nose and throat swabs are very uncomfortable. Especially if you have to do an anal swab, which is not only uncomfortable but also a little embarrassing. Chinese netizens share these concerns on social media.

"Everyone involved will be very ashamed," said one netizen in Guangdong province on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. In a poll on Weibo, 80 percent of respondents said they "couldn't accept" the anal swab method.

Chinese social media was also flooded with comments of distrust and concern about the new testing procedure. "It's difficult for nurses," said one netizen on Weibo.

"We have to really try hard to avoid contracting the coronavirus!!" said the others.