WELL ... that's a bummer.
Little over a month ago, China made headlines after announcing that it would be introducing the use of anal swabs to detect cases of coronavirus. If you still don't believe us, click here.
As if the idea itself isn't mad enough, the communist nation has gone and made the method a requirement for all passengers arriving into China from abroad.
Beijing claims the method, which involves a 5cm long saline-soaked swab shoved up the patients bum (about 1 or 2 inches in in case you were wondering), is more accurate than other methods such as nasal, throat or cheek swabs.
According to respiratory experts in China, traces of Covid-19 stay detectable for longer in faecal matter than they do in the nose or mouth.
Nevertheless, both the US and Japan have hit out at the procedure, branding it 'humiliating'.
Japan has called upon China to stop the undignified practice as it has the potential to cause "psychological distress" ... which is a fair assessment don't you think?
Last week, it emerged that American diplomats were ordered to undergo anal swab tests, sparking a furious reaction from the US state department, although Beijing denies the claims.
It's understood that as many as 5 million anal swab tests have already been carried out, and last month, China was forced to assure concerned citizens that they won't 'waddle like penguins' after getting the test, following the emergence of a 'fake' video showing patients walking stiff-legged like the flightless birds.
See More: Anal Swab, China, Covid-19, Covid-19 Test
