Millikin University Partners with SHIELD Illinois to Offer COVID-19 Saliva-Based Testing Millikin University has partnered with SHIELD Illinois to implement a COVID-19 saliva-based testing program that will be available to students beginning on Monday, Jan. 11, 2020. Millikin employees will have the capability to begin testing starting the week of Jan. 18. SHIELD Illinois is a screening testing program and infrastructure that deploys the University of Illinois’ innovative saliva test across the state. SHIELD Illinois uses a saliva-based test that is easy to administer, scalable, sensitive and specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Current notification time for the saliva test is only six to 12 hours whereas turnaround time for currently available tests is around two to three days, or longer. The test produces rapid results at costs significantly below current alternatives such as nasal swabs. Through cost and speed advantages, the saliva tests can increase access to testing and control spread of the virus by identifying pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers.