The chaos of covid-19 testing data in the US

Update: This episode has ended
More on coronavirus
Our most essential coverage of covid-19 is free, including:
How does the coronavirus work?
What are the potential treatments?
What's the right way to do social distancing?
Other frequently asked questions about coronavirus
---
Newsletter: Coronavirus Tech Report
Zoom show: Radio Corona
See also:
Please click here to subscribe and support our non-profit journalism.
In this week's episode of Radio Corona, we explored why the US has no idea how to manage all the testing data it’s collecting.
Last week, reporter Neel Patel wrote about how the US's decentralized public health system means there are no common standards for reporting testing data. That could create chaos in attempts to fight the pandemic, especially when it comes to making decisions about when and how to ease lockdown restrictions.
On Radio Corona, Gideon Lichfield, editor-in-chief of MIT Technology Review, discussed the problem of testing data and how it might be fixed with Neel and one of his sources—Erich Huang, assistant dean of bioinformatics at Duke University.
You can watch the interview below. And check out previous episodes of Radio Corona on topics like vaccine trials, drug research, working from home, the economic impacts of covid, pandemic preparedness, and more.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI
The tool, called Nightshade, messes up training data in ways that could cause serious damage to image-generating AI models.
The Biggest Questions: What is death?
New neuroscience is challenging our understanding of the dying process—bringing opportunities for the living.
Rogue superintelligence and merging with machines: Inside the mind of OpenAI’s chief scientist
An exclusive conversation with Ilya Sutskever on his fears for the future of AI and why they’ve made him change the focus of his life’s work.
How to fix the internet
If we want online discourse to improve, we need to move beyond the big platforms.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.