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In the future, people in Germany should be able to carry out rapid corona tests themselves at home.

In order to make this possible, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to change the medical device dispensing regulation, reported the "Rheinische Post" published in Düsseldorf.

This lifts the so-called doctor's reservation for the tests.

Consumers can then purchase the tests at the pharmacy and take them at home.

The newspaper quoted from the draft regulation.

"Tests for self-application by laypeople will play a decisive role in containing the pandemic in the future," says the text.

"In addition, tests for in-house use appear sensible where there is no professional user."

The North Rhine Pharmacists' Association welcomes Spahn's plans.

"Studies show that laypeople also achieve good test results," said association boss Thomas Preis of the "Rheinische Post".

The test is expected to come as a spit or gargle test, "this makes handling easier than swabbing the throat with a cotton swab".

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Association chief Preis expects according to his own information that the tests will be available in pharmacies from the end of January.

They would then probably cost ten to 15 euros.

The government will have to consider whether to support those in need with vouchers, said Preis.

A corona drug based on antibodies is also to be used in the fight against the pandemic.

“From next week, the monoclonal antibodies will be used in Germany as the first country in the EU.

First in university clinics, ”said Spahn of“ Bild am Sonntag ”.

"The federal government bought 200,000 cans for 400 million euros."

According to the media report, the former US President Donald Trump was treated with this form of antibodies after his corona infection.

“They act like a passive vaccination.

The administration of these antibodies can help high-risk patients in the early phase that a severe course is prevented, ”said Spahn.

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The then US President Trump was treated with the antibody cocktail REGN-COV2 from the US company Regeneron at the beginning of October.

It is a combination of two specially developed antibodies that bind to the so-called spike protein of the coronavirus and can thus deform its structure.

This is to prevent the coronavirus from attacking human cells.

According to Regeneron, the combination of two different antibodies should prevent the virus from mutating.

Compared to the "Bild am Sonntag", Spahn warned against blame when dealing with the pandemic.

“We should be careful that 2021 is not the year of blame.

Talking about mistakes and failures is important.

But without it becoming relentless.

Without it being just a matter of dumping the guilt on others. "

Spahn is currently partially held responsible for missing vaccines.

However, he had announced early on that there would be very little at first and then increasingly more.