The budget supermarket made the tests available directly at the check out, with one customer allowed to buy one pack containing five tests.

Many Aldi stores reported that stocks had run out on Saturday morning (March 6th), although resupplies of the tests which cost €25, were reportedly on the way.

Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd announced in advance that the products could be sold out on the first day of sales if demand proved to be very high.

Lidl, another major supermarket chain, started selling the tests via its internet platform also on Saturday, but stocks there also appear to have been booked up. A message on the page asks customers to “please try again at a later time.”

Competitors Rewe and Edeka also want to start selling the tests in the near future, while the drugstore chains Rossmann and dm plan to start sales on Tuesday, March 9th.

On February 24th, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices granted the first special approvals for tests for self-administration at home.

Free rapid tests from next week

On Wednesday (March 3rd) a coronavirus summit between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany’s 16 federal and state governments decided that every German resident would be able to receive a free “conventional” rapid test, completed by a medical professional starting next week. Drugstore chain DM has already been accepting sign-ups for in-store testing sites.

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Health Minister Jens Spahn had originally announced that free rapid tests would be available to all from March 1st – but this plan has been changed slightly.

In concrete terms, it means at least one rapid test per week will now be offered to people in Germany. It will be carried out by a trained member of staff in test centres or surgeries, for example. 

In addition, according to the plans of the federal and state governments, a joint task force is to be set up to procure tests quickly and cheaply.

How easy is it to test yourself at home?

There’s a big plus for the new rapid DIY tests: the sample with the cotton swab can be taken in the anterior nasal region, so it’s fairly easy to do at home.

The professional rapid tests, on the other hand, collect the sample material far back in the nose or deep in the throat – meaning that a specialist is needed to assist.

No additional laboratory equipment is needed for the rapid tests. The principle is similar to a pregnancy test: after 15 to 20 minutes, test strips indicate whether the patient is coronavirus positive or negative.

The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek sees few problems with the at-home tests: “I think everyone gets how to do a nasal smear, and if not, there are enough videos to show them how,” she said in the NDR podcast Coronavirus Update.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany’s new at-home coronavirus tests

However, rapid tests are not as reliable as PCR tests which are analysed in a lab. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), if the result of an antigen test is positive, the person should isolate and contact their doctor or local health department to arrange for a PCR test.

People are also reminded to continue to stick to distance and hygiene rules, even if they have a negative rapid test result.