Reliable corona tests for everyone could make openings safer.
The first ones may still be approved in the spring.
But experts urge caution.
The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices is hoping for approval of the Corona self-test in March.
In Austria they are already being used in schools, and they could also be helpful in other areas for faster openings.
The SPD wants the federal government to take money into hand after approval.
Bonn - The Corona lockdown as a means against the pandemic: Because numerous collateral damage occurs, the opponents are increasing.
Alternatives are needed.
The hope lies in vaccination * and increased testing.
But PCR tests from the laboratory take their time, and rapid antigen tests at test stations are also not a means for everyday use.
Corona self-tests promise a remedy.
The first corona rapid tests for at home in Germany could come onto the market in the spring.
The responsible Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices is hoping for approval in March.
"We are currently assuming on the basis of the application documents available so far that we will be able to issue the first special approvals at the beginning of March," said a spokesman for the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
.
Accordingly, there are applications for up to 30 different products, with which everyone could test themselves within a quarter of an hour.
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) * had cautiously commented on such tests on Friday.
Politics allow the use of self-tests, but for approval it depends on the quality, he had emphasized.
Because if they should give a lot of false negative results, "then there is also a risk".
Infected people, assuming they are not infected, could infect others.
Corona self-tests for at home: Austria is already using this test option in schools
The previously approved rapid tests require a swab with a long stick deep in the nose or throat.
They should only be carried out by trained personnel - also because the deep smear is uncomfortable for many.
In the self-tests, gargle and spit tests, for example, are now being discussed, which would be much easier to use.
In Austria, such self-tests are already used in schools.
Like the other rapid tests, they are particularly suitable for detecting a high virus load.
This means that people who are highly contagious can be quickly identified - but also that infected people with a low virus load may not be detected.
In addition, the tests can only ever be a snapshot.
The next day, the viral load can already have increased and be detectable.
From the point of view of experts, it is therefore still necessary to keep your distance and wear protective masks.
After self-tests were approved in Germany, according to Spahn, there would be talks between the federal and state governments on how they should be included in the strategies.
The price is still open - and to what extent the federal government may support the purchase, he said.
The SPD * in the Bundestag called for a quick concept.
"I really do not understand why the Chancellor is so hesitant about the subject of self-tests," said parliamentary group vice-president Bärbel Bas of the German press agency.
These tests could play a very important role in getting out of the pandemic.
"As long as we do not have enough vaccine to successfully contain the coronavirus *, they are the only way to interrupt chains of infection at an early stage," emphasized Bas.
Citizens could thus actively work towards a return to normalcy.
Corona self-tests could create an opening perspective - SPD calls for a concept
After approval, the federal government must take money in hand to be the first to equip schools and daycare centers with self-tests, Bas demanded.
In addition, Spahn must immediately plan a broad-based test strategy.
"We must not come back to the bottom of a development that could help us out of the crisis, as we did with vaccinations," warned the SPD politician.
Germany's municipalities are also calling for a self-test offensive.
They could be an important means for further opening perspectives, said the chief executive of the German Association of Cities and Towns, Gerd Landsberg, the
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung
.
He demanded "that in public institutions such as schools and daycare centers these tests are procured free of charge by the federal and state governments and made available quickly".
If the number of infections falls, such rapid tests could also open up an important perspective for the opening of restaurants, hotels, museums and sports facilities.
(dpa / cibo) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network.