Japan has asked China to stop its practice of anal swabbing on Japanese citizens to obtain samples for COVID-19 testing. The request came after a number of Japanese based in China complained of "psychological pain" stemming from the procedure. China began obtaining samples for COVID-19 testing from the anal region in late January 2021, saying that samples obtained from the rectal area register better results.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters during a March 1 news conference: "Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which causes a great psychological pain." Kato said that it was not known how many Japanese citizens underwent anal swabbing, adding the Japanese government has not received a response if the testing will be changed. Because of this, he remarked that Tokyo will continue to request that the manner of COVID-19 sample collection be revised.
Beijing first started obtaining samples from the rectal area in late January following a nine-year-old boy who tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. The Chinese capital began using the method more frequently to ensure no potential carriers remain undetected, with some cities following suit. To conduct anal swabbing, the swab needs to be inserted about three to five centimeters into the rectum and rotated several times. The swab is then removed after the motion is done twice and placed inside a sample container.
Japanese citizens were not the only ones subjected to this intrusive method of sample collection. The week before, American diplomats based in China claimed they were forced to take anal swab tests for COVID-19. The U.S. government complained about the "undignified" procedure and told diplomatic staff to decline if asked to take one.
A U.S. source said the State Department "never agreed to this kind of testing." They added that a protest was issued to the [Chinese] Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon learning that some staff were subjected to it."
Beijing claimed that the swabbing on U.S. diplomats was done "in error" and that diplomatic personnel were exempt from the anal swab test. Currently, the test is mandatory for incoming travelers in some parts of China. However, Beijing has now denied any knowledge that it required U.S. diplomatic staff to undergo anal swabbing. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in a daily news briefing: "To my knowledge … China has never required U.S. diplomatic staff … to conduct anal swab tests." (Related: American diplomats in China were FORCED to take humiliating and invasive coronavirus anal swab tests.)
Wuhan coronavirus tests are just a cover for the actual plan to obtain genetic information
Beijing-based pulmonologist Li Tongzeng defended the use of anal swabbing to test for COVID-19. He said during an appearance in Chinese state television last month that traces of the Wuhan coronavirus in stool and anal swabs could remain detectable for a longer period compared to those from the respiratory tract.
But not all medical professionals are on the same boat as Li. The accuracy and efficiency of anal swabs remain points of contention among experts. Yang Zhanqiu of China's Wuhan University asserted that nasal and throat swabs remain the most efficient COVID-19 testing method. According to him, the coronavirus is proven to be contracted through the upper respiratory tract rather than the digestive system.
The deputy director of the university's pathogen biology department told state-run paper Global Times: "There have been cases concerning the coronavirus testing positive in a patient's excrement, but no evidence has suggested it had been transmitted through one's digestive system."
But even more concerning is the fact that COVID-19 testing is a cover for something more sinister. The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned that China's collection of health care data through swab tests such as those from the American diplomats undermine U.S. privacy and security. In a Feb. 1 fact sheet, the NSCC elaborated that China finds Americans' genomic information valuable because of the population's ethnic diversity. Thus, the regime will resort to both legal and illegal means just to obtain this trove of data. (Related: IT'S A SCAM: Communist China is collecting American DNA through coronavirus testing.)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Supervisory Special Agent Edward You said China aims to create a "huge domestic database" of Americans' genetic information. The former biochemist turned federal agent told 60 Minutes: "If they are now able to supplement that [database] with data from all around the world, it's all about who gets the largest, most diverse data set." He continued: "There's a very uncomfortable truth that comes out. [In] the last decade or so, you'll see that China has heavily invested … [to gain] access to our [genetic and health] data."
Visit Surveillance.news to find out how China is using COVID-19 testing to obtain important health data.
Sources include:
DNI.gov [PDF]
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