Anal Swab Test For COVID Won’t Make You Walk Like Penguins: China Says Viral Video 'Fake'

After some cities in China began using anal swabs this month to test for COVID-19 amid a surge in cases, a video purportedly showing people struggling to walk after being tested went viral. Chinese authorities have now issued a clarification, saying the video “showing people walking like penguins is not true.”

The anal swab testing method involves inserting a cotton swab 1.2 inches to 1.9 inches (3 to 5 centimeters) into the anus. The video purportedly showing people walking stiff-legged has been viewed millions of times on China's social network platforms, according to the state-run Global Times.

The video was taken down after authorities in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, said it was fake. The Shijiazhuang Internet Report Center claimed the recording was edited and doctored, and warned that people who spread such rumors may be held legally responsible, Global Times said. It’s not clear yet where the video emerged.

Health experts in China believe the anal swab method increases the accuracy of detecting cases. Li Tongzeng, a senior doctor from Beijing’s Youan hospital, said studies have shown that the coronavirus survives longer in the anus or excrement than in the upper body tracts. Li explained that for some silent carriers, the virus may be present in throats for only three to five days and give a false-negative result.

Meanwhile, the anal swab method isn’t as convenient as throat swab, and is only used in some cases. Shijiazhuang authorities said they were collecting anal swab samples only from hospitalized COVID-19 patients suffering diarrhea, and also claim the method that causes no discomfort. In Beijing, anal swabs have been used to test people living in high-risk areas and who are staying in quarantine facilities.

China has reported a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent days, with Sunday showing the highest daily increase in new cases in six days. As of early Tuesday morning, the total number of confirmed cases in China was 100,127 and the death toll was 4,818, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The country has imposed strict measures — tightening internal restrictions, imposing travel curbs and using the anal swab method — to stem the spread of the virus.