University of Illinois COVID-19 saliva test gets FDA approval

CHICAGO - A saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by the University of Illinois has received emergency authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, according to the university on Wednesday.

Unlike most coronavirus tests which involve a long, invasive nasopharyngeal swab, the university-developed saliva test, called I-COVID, asks those tested to drool a small amount into a sterile test tube, and can get test results in hours, according to a university press release.

The school has performed more than 50,000 tests since making walk-up testing available to faculty members, staff and students in July, and expects to test up to 20,000 people a day when the fall semester begins on August 24, the news release said.

"Direct saliva testing can address bottlenecks of time, cost and supplies. Our test also has unique features that enable fast and frequent testing on a large scale," said Martin Burke, a chemistry professor who helped design the test.

President of University of Illinois System Tim Killeen called the pioneering technology a "game-changer that will help safeguard lives and livelihoods across the country."

"Today's news puts the University of Illinois and the entire state of Illinois on the cutting edge of testing innovation on a national level... the State of Illinois looks forward to being the biggest customer," said Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. "If ongoing research continues to yield positive results, this has potentially game-changing implications for our statewide testing program as well as for testing on a national level."

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 2,295 newly confirmed cases, the highest daily case tally since May 24. By Wednesday, the midwestern state has reported 211,889 confirmed cases, including 7,806 deaths.