As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the state, country and the world, it’s important for everyone to be armed with the knowledge of how to get tested and what testing entails. As students at Lake Land College, we are close to the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. Luckily, Sarah Bush is a trusted and easy place to go to get a COVID-19 test done. On the Sarah Bush website’s COVID-19 page, the directions for how to get tested are outlined clearly and concisely. For members of the community that need to be tested prior to a surgery or procedure, schedules are open from 7 a.m. to noon on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. For people who are seeking a test without a surgery or procedure, scheduling places them from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you are seeking a test, you will need to preregister by calling 217-258-7490. There are no out-of-pocket costs as the tests are covered by insurance and the CARES Act. Receiving results may take up to four days due to the high volume of tests the testing center collects every day. They will call people who test positive and send negative results through the US mail service. The results are also posted on the SBL Patient Portal. 

The test itself is not as bad or stressful as it may seem at first. When I got tested with my family, we had to call to pre-register and then drive into the drive through testing center. Someone came to ask us all questions pertinent to the test such as birthday and county of residence.The test itself was just a cotton swab rubbed on the inside of your nasal cavity. The swab isn’t pushed to the back of your throat or painful at all. It’s very gentle and fast.