Tokyo asked Beijing to stop giving anal smears to Japanese citizens when they entered China – because the COVID-19 test causes mental distress.
“Some Japanese people reported to our embassy in China that they received anal smear tests, which caused a great deal of psychological pain,” Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief office secretary, told a news conference.
Kato said the government has not yet received a response from Beijing about the change in procedure, adding that it is not known how many Japanese people received these tests for the coronavirus, Reuters reported.
Some cities in China were using anal samples to detect potential infections as the country intensified screening to ensure that no potential infections were lost.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing’s testing methods were “based on science” and “in line with changes in the epidemic situation, as well as with relevant laws and regulations”.
The Japanese request came shortly after the United States complained that the Chinese government used anal swabs to test American diplomats.
Beijing insisted that the butt tests were done “by mistake”, although the Chinese Foreign Ministry also denies that American diplomats were forced to take the anal tests.
Tests using anal smears can prevent loss of infections, as viral traces in fecal samples or anal smears can remain detectable longer than in the respiratory tract, Li Tongzeng, a respiratory disease doctor in Beijing, told state TV in Beijing. January.