The Illinois Department of Public Health, the DeKalb County Health Department, and NIU are partnering to offer free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing from Monday, Nov. 16, through Wednesday, Nov. 18, for any students, faculty, staff members, or DeKalb County residents who want to be tested prior to Thanksgiving.

Nasal swab testing will be available each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Anderson Hall parking lot, and results will be available in four to seven days.

Additionally, NIU is asking test takers to consider the option of taking a second COVID-19 test that will be available at the drive-thru site. Dr. Elizabeth Gaillard, Director of the NIU Molecular Analysis Core Lab, and her team are continuing to develop and validate this new test in collaboration with private partners. To validate the test, hundreds of more samples are needed to be compared against the results of PCR tests. The new testing method involves a simple gargle and oral rinse.

Those who participate in the second test will be asked to complete a consent form and provide basic demographic information. Visit go.niu.edu/drive-thru-research for more information. Thank you for your consideration.