What should I do before the test?
Drink lots of water and if you can, brush your teeth one hour before the test.
You should not eat, drink or
put anything in your mouth one hour before taking the salvia-based test. This includes
smoking, drinking, chewing gum, using mouth wash, etc.
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How does the testing process work?
The test is self-administered and non-invasive. After checking in with a collection site staff member, you will receive a vial to deposit a small amount of saliva into. Then, you place the vial in a collection rack and leave the collection site.
Unobserved Testing: Can you explain "Your sample must be returned on the same day it was collected?"
You should collect your specimen as close to the time you will be delivering it to the collection location as possible. However, you may collect your specimen up to 23 hours before dropoff as long as it is in the closed vial and stored at room ...
Can I schedule a test for myself?
SHIELD Illinois does not offer individual testing. However, individuals can get tested using the covidSHIELD test by SHIELD Illinois through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) community testing sites. The list of sites and times can be ...
How often should we be testing?
Testing at least twice a week maximizes SHIELD’s ability to find infections early and break the transmission chain. However, if contact tracing is strong at your location, weekly testing can be effective. The more frequently someone is tested, the ...
How is the test specimen disposed of after testing?
Test specimens are safely and permanently destroyed once testing is completed in accordance with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency rules and regulations. Negative, inconclusive, invalid, and rejected specimens are immediately discarded to be ...