On Feb. 26, 2021, Roche announced it had been granted special approval by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to offer the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test using a simple nasal swab for patient self-testing in Germany.

By following simple instructions, patients can perform the test at home with results ready after only 15 minutes. The test was made available in pharmacies and required no prescription.