The Council of Ministers that has approved the draft of one of the star laws of the current government, the new democratic memory law, has also given the green light to the sale without a prescription of antigen tests in pharmacies. With this, the Ministry of Health wants to expand the diagnostic capacity in the face of a fifth wave of unstoppable COVID-19 that places us already close to six hundred cases per hundred thousand inhabitants.
Isabel Rodríguez, minister spokesman for the Government has stressed that this is “a week to celebrate” due to the evolution of vaccination (more than 50% of the Spanish population is vaccinated with the full schedule), although the epidemiological situation is still “worrying, on all in the population that has not yet been vaccinated. ”
From the Executive they point out that they will not be free and that they will have “affordable prices” for society. At this press conference, it has not yet been confirmed when they will begin to be sold or the final price they will have. What the minister has confirmed is that, if a positive result is given, it will be considered a “suspicious case” that must be confirmed with PCR in the health system. “It was a much demanded and desired measure,” explained the Minister of Territorial Policy at the press conference after the Council of Ministers.
“Do not confuse public opinion, the mask is still mandatory”
Regarding the possibility of resuming the curfew and the mask outdoors at the national level due to the soaring situation of contagions, something that Lehendakari Urkullu already raises from the Basque Country, the Government has referred to the interterritorial office this afternoon and reiterated that “the CCAA have margin to contain contagions with the current law, that is the framework, but the provision has always been that of loyal and sure collaboration that President Sánchez responds to the lehendakari. The use of the mask is mandatory in all areas except outdoors when there is 1 meter and a half away and the public respects it in general, but there are some areas in which the law is not followed, you have to enforce that rule. Do not confuse public opinion, the mask it is still mandatory. ”
Details when buying a self-diagnostic test
According to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) on its website, the European Union recommends use tests with a minimum specificity of 97% and sensitivity of 90%. For the same reason, and before purchasing one of these tests, you must check that they have these characteristics. Also that they have the CE marking on their labeling followed by the four digits of the notified body that has evaluated it. To avoid ending up buying a test that does not offer sufficient guarantees, Aemps asks that these tests not be purchased through other channels.
Once the self-diagnosis test has been acquired, the test should be done in the first five days after the appearance of symptoms, when the viral load will be at its highest point, or during the first seven days after the infection.
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