Coronavirus can be transmitted through poop, study confirms

A recent study has revealed that if deep throat saliva test doesn't work for the novel coronavirus test, it can be done by testing the poop or face of the suspected person.

"Covid-19 can be transmitted through faeces", this revealing study has been done by experts of Chinese University of Hong Kong saying, reports South China Morning Post. 

The university's faculty of medicine recently tested 339 stool, sputum, nasopharyngeal swab, deep throat saliva, blood and urine samples from 14 Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong.

It found that, for three patients, some specimens from their respiratory system – sputum, nasopharyngeal swab and deep throat saliva – tested negative for the coronavirus. But all of the test came back positive when their faeces were tested. 

None of the urine specimens contained the virus, and it was only detected in the blood of four patients.

"If you have sputum, then of course it's best to test it to find out if a person has the coronavirus. That's because it has a high viral load," the university's Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung said on Tuesday. "But not everyone has sputum."

It has vastly spread by infected patients as the individual had to touch the flushing buttons and the taps before they could wash their hands. That's why he has warned people to be more careful while using public toilets. 

"Caretakers and food handlers should be particularly vigilant about their hand hygiene," Chan added.

The university's medical school would take the study further by testing 100 asymptomatic people moving into government quarantine centres.

People with coronavirus symptoms and ill bowel condition such as diarrhoea should test their faeces to get confirmation if they are positive or not. This, can increase the accuracy of that result, said Dr Linda Yu Wai-ling, a chief manager at the Hospital Authority.