Months ago, the University of Illinois announced that they were planning on being able to widely test students and faculty on campus for COVID-19 with a saliva test.

The U of I has been granted emergency approval to use the test and now there comes hope that the state of Illinois can have access to the test that could lead to widespread testing of the general population.

Dr. Martin Burke, the Associate Dean for the U of I College of Medicine, says the real impact of the test will be that it is fast and cheap.

Burke says the salvia test also cuts down on other laboratory material that is needed when using nasal swabs.