American Diplomats In China Forced To Have Anal Swabs For Covid

AMERICAN diplomats in China were forced to have ‘undignified’ anal swabs for Covid in what Beijing authorities claim was a ‘mistake’

Washington has made a complaint to Chinese officials after several US diplomats were forced to undergo the ‘undignified’ procedure of anal swab tests for coronavirus while on a recent visit to the country. Beijing has since claimed that the tests were administered ‘in error’ as although anal swabs are required for incoming travellers in some airports, American diplomats are exempt.

A US source told Vice: ‘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.’

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a news briefing in Beijing: ‘To my knowledge…China has never required U.S. diplomatic staff stationed in China to conduct anal swab tests.’

Li Tongzeng, a respiratory diseases doctor in the capital, told Chinese state television back in January that anal and stool tests are often more accurate indicators of coronavirus, as they pick up on anomalies that other antigen and PCR tests can often miss.

However, a State Department representative said it was ‘committed to guaranteeing the safety and security of American diplomats and their families, while preserving their dignity’.

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