Editorâs Note:Â This story was updated on Feb. 24 to include updated data from UNLâs COVID-19 Dashboard. Over 20,000 University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty, staff and students have either had a cotton swab inserted into their nose or spit into a tube in the past two weeks in preparation for the start of the spring 2021 semester. UNL opened its new, mandatory saliva-based testing program to students in the Nebraska College of Law, Nebraska College of Technical, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry and UNMC College of Nursing on Jan. 12, according to Leslie Reed, UNLâs public affairs director.The saliva-based program opened to the rest of the UNL community on Jan. 19.