Chris Bilder

Speaker: Chris Bilder, Professor, Dept of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Title: SARS-CoV-2 Detection through Group Testing
Date: September 25, 2020
Time: 1:30PM (PDT)    
Location: Remote 

Abstract

Group testing (also known as pooled testing) involves testing individual items together as a combined group, rather than separately, to better understand each item. This process is used in numerous applications, including the screening of blood donations, the detection of sexually transmitted diseases, the discovery of chemical compounds for new pharmaceuticals, and the estimation of virus transmission rates from insects to plants. Applied in appropriate settings, group testing can greatly reduce associated testing costs and increase testing efficiency. This is why group testing has played an important role with increasing testing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. My presentation examines the statistical and non-statistical aspects of group testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. I will explain how group testing is being used now and how it could be implemented better to maximize its impact.