CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — If you need to get tested for COVID-19, look no further. This is for those of you who are a little nervous about that big swab we’ve heard about. You may know about the testing site at Marketplace Mall. Now, Carle and Christie Clinic are adding the same, self-administered option.

Carle and Christie have already been offering testing, but this new option is a lot more user friendly. Carle representatives say they made the switch recently because it’s been proven as clinically effective as previous methods but offers more comfort for patients. It also helps conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) with less people involved in actual sample collection.

If you have symptoms, you’ve been exposed or you’re just curious, you can go to the Carle location on Mattis Avenue or the Christie Clinic at the corner of Mattis and Windsor.

“With the nasal swab, that is a little less invasive, doesn’t hurt the patient as much and they can swab themselves, and it doesn’t go as high into the nasal passage,” said Carle RN Wendy Farmer.

This new testing method is also a lot quicker. If you go, you’ll get a nasal swab that’s kind of like a q-tip. You’ll put it in each nostril for about 15 seconds, rub it around and then hand it back to someone working the site.

Most people can expect to get their tests back within two to three days. At this time, patients should not receive a bill for COVID-19 testing. However, Carle does recommend that you contact your health insurance carrier for specifics on your benefit coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coverage requirements may vary by Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, and self-funded plans. If you need to have or are required to have a COVID-19 test and your insurance does not cover all or a portion of the test, or you are uninsured, you will not have to pay for the test.

If you have inadvertently received a bill for COVID-19 testing, you should call Carle Patient Accounts at (888)71-CARLE.