China denies using ‘undignified’ anal swab Covid tests on US diplomats

The state department claimed that Beijing told them the tests were done "in error"  

Credit:  Sean Gallup/Getty Images

China has denied subjecting US diplomats to “undignified” anal swab tests for coronavirus, after a number of envoys complained about the intrusive procedure.

Staff stationed in China have now been told to refuse the tests in future and the State Department claimed that they should never have been carried out.

In a statement, they said: “The State Department never agreed to this kind of testing and protested directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when we learned that some staff were subject to it,” a spokesperson told VICE World News.

“We have instructed staff to decline this test if it is asked of them, as was done in the past.”

They added that it was important to preserve the “dignity” of diplomats and their families.

The state department claimed that Beijing told them the tests were done "in error".

How Covid spread from Wuhan across China

Anal coronavirus tests involve inserting a cotton swab 3-5cm into the anus and gently rotating it. 

They were first used in China in January, as health officials claimed that the tests are more accurate in detecting coronavirus, saying it can survive longer in the anus or in fecal matter versus in other parts of the body.

“Given that the method is not as convenient as throat swabs, it will only be applied to key groups at quarantine centers,” officials were quoted saying in Chinese state media.

On Thursday, China denied forcing the diplomats to have the tests.

"China has never requested US diplomatic personnel in China to undergo anal swabs," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing.