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.
This story was originally published by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign