display

The Chinese authorities are now also carrying out corona tests using anal smears.

Li Tongzeng, a senior physician at You'an Hospital in Beijing, told the state television broadcaster CCTV that this method could "increase the detection rate in infected people" because the virus can be detected in the anus for longer than in the airways.

According to the broadcaster, however, tests are still largely carried out using a throat and nose swab, as the anal method is not very "pleasant".

The anal swab is therefore mainly used for people who are at high risk of coronavirus infection.

Last week, according to CCTV, this was the case among residents of several districts of Beijing with confirmed corona infections.

Citizens in quarantine were also tested in this way.

Internet users reacted to the new test procedure with black humor.

"I took two anal swabs, each time I had to take a throat swab afterwards - I was so scared that the nurse forgets to use a new swab," joked a user on the Weibo platform.

All developments on Corona in the live ticker: