Coronavirus: Beijing denies making US diplomats take anal swab tests
- Foreign ministry issues statement in response to US media reports claiming State Department staff were required to take such tests
- Anal swabs can be more effective in testing for Covid-19 but are considered undignified by most people
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian issued a statement on Thursday after a spokesperson said that some US State Department staff had been subjected to the tests and Washington had described the practice as undignified, according to reports by Vice News and The Washington Post.
Beijing told Washington the test was given “in error” and that diplomatic staff were exempt, and US diplomats had been instructed to decline the test if it was asked of them, the reports said.
A diplomat from a European country working in Beijing who wished to remain anonymous said embassy and consulate workers were asked by health workers during quarantine to take the rectal test but had the option to refuse.
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China denies reports US diplomats were ordered to take anal swab tests for Covid-19
The anal swab tests were introduced in January in Beijing and Qingdao in eastern China targeting high-risk groups, including overseas arrivals, Chinese tabloid Global Times reported.
Health authorities began using rectal swabs more widely after several provinces and cities saw outbreaks, as the test is more accurate than nasal or throat swabs.
