Katherine Brook
SPAIN has said it will soon allow the sale of self-diagnosis COVID-19 tests from pharmacies as fifth wave sweeps across nation.
Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, confirmed that Covid-19 self-diagnosis tests will be made available in pharmacies, without a prescription.
Darias stressed that having the tests available will help to ‘improve early detection of suspected positive cases’, especially in those who are ‘asymptomatic’, as many of the recent cases in 12 to 29 year-olds are.
The draft decree by the Ministry of Health says: “Facilitating access to these tests is key to increasing the diagnostic capacity and thus improving the early detection of suspected positive cases and achieving adequate management of the progression of Covid-19.”
It also points to how the introduction of self-diagnosis tests will ‘help effectively control the spread of the virus and therefore reduce mobility restrictions and allow the resumption of normal activities.’
The decree will be taken to the Council of Ministers on July 20, where the official plan will be confirmed for the distribution of the self-diagnosis tests, as well as how they will be advertised across the country.
The news comes as a surprise to many, as until now, the Ministry of Health had refused to distribute self-testing kits, despite pressure from both the pharmaceutical sector and communities.
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