The Department of Health (DOH) said that the use of anal swab test to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 is too “incovenient” for both the patient and healthcare workers. 

It was recently reported that some cities in China are now using anal swab test to detect potential coronavirus infections.

The DOH, however, said that it is not yet considering this testing method, but will look into this option. 

“Kung kami po ang tatanungin sa Department of Health, kung talagang kakailanganin at makikita with sufficient evidence na ito naman po ay talagang makakapag yield ng accurate results also, pag-iisipan pong maigi ng gobyerno iyan bacause (For the Department of Health, if it is proven with sufficient evidence that it can yield accurate results, then it will be carefully studied by the government but) as we say, it is really inconvenient for both the individuals and the healthcare workers,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. 

Vergeire said if this testing method is proposed in the Philippines, it will first be studied by the country's health experts. 

“No matter what the articles would say, of course kung papasok po itong teknolohiya na ito sa ating bansa, dadaan pa rin yan sa validation na ginagawa ng ating National Reference Laboratory... and has to be registered with the FDA (No matter what the articles would say, of course if this technology enters our country, it will still go through the validation done by our National Reference Laboratory... and has to be registered with the Food and Drug Administration),” she said.