CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has administered its millionth saliva-based COVID-19 test since initiating a broader management program last summer. A number of other institutions are in the process of implementing the Illinois system, which the university validated by successfully comparing its performance to a test with Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization.
All students, faculty members and staff who reside in the area are required to test at least once a week. Driven largely by the volume of testing at the U. of I., Champaign County accounts for nearly 10% of all testing conducted within the state since the beginning of the pandemic, and about 0.5% of all national testing.
“This milestone is far more than an accumulation of lab results. Every one of those million tests was a personal decision to protect friends, co-workers and complete strangers,” Chancellor Robert Jones said.
The U. of I. program also incorporates the Safer Illinois app, developed at the university to support on-campus safety and testing protocols, downloaded by more than 45,000 unique users.
The university collaborates closely with local governments, public health officials and businesses.
Editor’s note: For more information, contact Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs, 217-333-5010, rkaler@illinois.edu.
