Illinois Virus Saliva Test May Be ‘Game Changing,’ Governor Says
- University of Illinois follows Yale test that won FDA approval
- Illinois virus cases at highest since May amid record testing
A University of Illinois test that uses saliva to detect the coronavirus is showing promise and could help the state curb the pandemic as cases spike to the highest since May, Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Wednesday.
The optimism comes after Yale University received an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week for its coronavirus saliva test, which is used by the National Basketball Association. Piggybacking on that, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted a bridge study, comparing its test with Yale’s, said Martin Burke, a professor who oversaw the study. The results showed that Illinois’s test was even more sensitive, allowing it to operate under the umbrella of the FDA’s approval, and the university plans to seek independent approval, Burke said.