scholarly journals Identifying optimal COVID-19 testing strategies for schools and businesses: Balancing testing frequency, individual test technology, and cost

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory D. Lyng ◽  
Natalie E. Sheils ◽  
Caleb J. Kennedy ◽  
Daniel O. Griffin ◽  
Ethan M. Berke
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Sensitivity Test ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Testing Frequency ◽  
Sample Pooling ◽  
The Impact

Background COVID-19 test sensitivity and specificity have been widely examined and discussed, yet optimal use of these tests will depend on the goals of testing, the population or setting, and the anticipated underlying disease prevalence. We model various combinations of key variables to identify and compare a range of effective and practical surveillance strategies for schools and businesses. Methods We coupled a simulated data set incorporating actual community prevalence and test performance characteristics to a susceptible, infectious, removed (SIR) compartmental model, modeling the impact of base and tunable variables including test sensitivity, testing frequency, results lag, sample pooling, disease prevalence, externally-acquired infections, symptom checking, and test cost on outcomes including case reduction and false positives. Findings Increasing testing frequency was associated with a non-linear positive effect on cases averted over 100 days. While precise reductions in cumulative number of infections depended on community disease prevalence, testing every 3 days versus every 14 days (even with a lower sensitivity test) reduces the disease burden substantially. Pooling provided cost savings and made a high-frequency approach practical; one high-performing strategy, testing every 3 days, yielded per person per day costs as low as $1.32. Interpretation A range of practically viable testing strategies emerged for schools and businesses. Key characteristics of these strategies include high frequency testing with a moderate or high sensitivity test and minimal results delay. Sample pooling allowed for operational efficiency and cost savings with minimal loss of model performance.

scholarly journals Identifying Optimal COVID-19 Testing Strategies for Schools and Businesses: Balancing Testing Frequency, Individual Test Technology, and Cost

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory D. Lyng ◽  
Natalie E. Sheils ◽  
Caleb J. Kennedy ◽  
Daniel Griffin ◽  
Ethan M. Berke
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Sensitivity Test ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Testing Frequency ◽  
Sample Pooling ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundCOVID-19 test sensitivity and specificity have been widely examined and discussed yet optimal use of these tests will depend on the goals of testing, the population or setting, and the anticipated underlying disease prevalence. We model various combinations of key variables to identify and compare a range of effective and practical surveillance strategies for schools and businesses.MethodsWe coupled a simulated data set incorporating actual community prevalence and test performance characteristics to a susceptible, infectious, removed (SIR) compartmental model, modeling the impact of base and tunable variables including test sensitivity, testing frequency, results lag, sample pooling, disease prevalence, externally-acquired infections, and test cost on outcomes case reduction.ResultsIncreasing testing frequency was associated with a non-linear positive effect on cases averted over 100 days. While precise reductions in cumulative number of infections depended on community disease prevalence, testing every 3 days versus every 14 days (even with a lower sensitivity test) reduces the disease burden substantially. Pooling provided cost savings and made a high-frequency approach practical; one high-performing strategy, testing every 3 days, yielded per person per day costs as low as $1.32.ConclusionsA range of practically viable testing strategies emerged for schools and businesses. Key characteristics of these strategies include high frequency testing with a moderate or high sensitivity test and minimal results delay. Sample pooling allowed for operational efficiency and cost savings with minimal loss of model performance.

scholarly journals Detection and abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Liechtenstein, and the estimation of prevalence and impact of the B.1.1.7 variant

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Markt ◽  
L. Endler ◽  
F. Amman ◽  
A. Schedl ◽  
T. Penz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Virus Variant ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Testing Frequency ◽  
Reverse Transcription Quantitative Pcr ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Peak ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions ◽  
Composite Samples

Abstract The new coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is known to be also shed through feces, which makes wastewater-based surveillance possible, independent of symptomatic cases and unbiased by any testing strategies and frequencies. We investigated the entire population of the Principality of Liechtenstein with samples from the wastewater treatment plant Bendern (serving all 39,000 inhabitants). Twenty-four-hour composite samples were taken once or twice a week during a period of 6 months from September 2020 to March 2021. Viral RNA was concentrated using the PEG centrifugation method followed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. The aim of this research was to assess the suitability of COVID-19 fragments to relate the viral wastewater signal to the incidences and assess the impact of the emerging B.1.1.7. variant. The viral load in the wastewater peaked at almost 9 × 108 viral fragments per person equivalent (PE) and day on October 25, and showed a second peak on December 22 reaching a viral load of approximately 2 × 108 PE−1d−1. Individual testing showed a lag of 4 days and a distinct underestimation of cases at the first peak when testing frequency was low. The wastewater signal showed an immediate response on the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The new virus variant B.1.1.7. was first detected in wastewater on December 23, while it was first observed with individual testing not before January 13, 2021. Further, our data indicate that the emergence of new virus variant may change the wastewater signal, probably due to different shedding patterns, which should be considered in future models.

scholarly journals A Working Model to Inform Risk-Based Back to Work Strategies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Meier ◽  
Kirsten J. Curnow ◽  
Darcy Vavrek ◽  
John Moon ◽  
Kyle Farh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screening Program ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Infectious Period ◽  
Sensitivity Testing ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
Sample Pooling ◽  
Input Variables ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced many businesses to close or move to remote work to reduce the potential spread of disease. Employers desiring a return to onsite work want to understand their risk for having an infected employee on site and how best to mitigate this risk. Here, we modelled a range of key metrics to help inform return to work policies and procedures, including evaluating the benefit and optimal design of a SARS-CoV-2 employee screening program.MethodsWe modeled a range of input variables including prevalence of COVID-19, time infected, number of employees, test sensitivity and specificity, test turnaround time, number of times tested within the infectious period, and sample pooling. We modeled the impact of these input variables on several output variables: number of healthy employees; number of infected employees; number of test positive and test negative employees; number of true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative employees; positive and negative predictive values; and time an infected, potentially contagious employee is on site.ResultsWe show that an employee screening program can reduce the risk for onsite transmission across different prevalence values and group sizes. For example, at a pre-test asymptomatic community prevalence of 0.5% (5 in 1000) with an employee group size of 500, the risk for at least one infected employee on site is 91.8%, with 3 asymptomatic infected employees predicted within those 500 employees. Implementing a SARS-CoV-2 baseline screen with an 80% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity would reduce the risk of at least one infected employee on site to 39.4% and the predicted number of infected employees onsite (false negatives) to 1. Repetitive testing is required for ongoing vigilance of onsite employees. The expected number of days an infected employee is on site depends on test sensitivity, testing interval, and turnaround time. If the test interval is longer than the infectious period (∼14 days for COVID-19), testing will not detect the infected employee. Sample pooling reduces the number of tests performed, thereby reducing testing costs. However, the pooling methodology (eg, 1-stage vs 2-stage pooling, pool size) will impact the number of employees that screen positive, thereby affected the number of employees eligible to return to onsite work.ConclusionsThe modeling presented here can be used to help employers understand their risk for having an infected employee on site. Further, it details how an employee screening program can reduce this risk and shows how screening performance and frequency impact the effectiveness of a screening program. The primary factors determining the effectiveness of a screening program are test sensitivity and frequency of testing.DisclaimerThis publication is offered to businesses/employers as a model of potential risk arising from COVID19 in the workplace. While believed to be based on reliable data, the model described herein has not been prospectively validated and should not be relied upon for any purpose other than as an aid to understand the potential impacts of a number of variables on the risk of having COVID19 positive employees on a worksite. Decisions related to workplace safety; COVID19 related workplace testing; programs and procedures should be based upon your actual data and applicable laws and public health orders.

The Impact of E-Procurement Systems in the Biomedical Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
A. Seetharaman ◽  
Nitin Patwa ◽  
Simon Lai Koek Wai ◽  
Ahammed Shamir
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Business Analytics ◽  
Process Automation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Compliance Cost ◽  
Biomedical Industry ◽  
The Impact

The evolution of the Internet has revolutionised the sourcing and procurement processes in organisations in every industry. The focus of this paper is to analyse the perception of business users on the factors which impact the usage of eprocurement systems in the biomedical industry. There are four factors identified in this research: i.e. control and compliance, cost savings, process automation, and improvements and transparency. The benefit of achieving process automation is the first biggest factor, followed by the need for control and compliance, and transparency, being the second and third factors respectively. The fourth factor, cost savings, is ignored because the users perceived that cost savings will not be realised in the short term, and the returns from the investment could be a couple of years after the eprocurement system has been fully operational. The research also concludes that the ability to perform business analytics and to strengthen the supply chain are the most important factors in measuring the success in the adoption of e-procurement systems

Yoga as an Innovative Solution for Financial Growth of Companies

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ipseeta Satpathy ◽  
B. Chandra Mohan Patnaik ◽  
Chandrabhanu Das
Keyword(s):  
Inventory Management ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
Antibiotic Drugs ◽  
Lifestyle Diseases ◽  
The Impact

The existence of Yoga dates back to more than ten thousand years around India and all nations. The Hindu Mythology considers the genesis of Yoga by incorporating Lord Shiva as Guru and Goddess Parvati as Shishya. Gradually with the development of civilization mankind assessed the benefits of this spiritual discipline and different leaders propagated the Yoga in different ways.In this era of 21st century Baba Ramdev propagated the yoga sutras with simple and effective techniques. The Pranayam and Suryanamaskar are the popular routines practiced by many followers of Baba Ramdev. Today Yoga is practiced as a way of Living to prevent Lifestyle diseases, combat stress and rejuvenate self. Yoga has gained immense popularity over the years with July 21st being celebrated as International Yoga Day. Corporate are also now introducing Yoga for employees as a means to relieve their stress and improve productivity. Long Hours of sitting, standing and excessive use of electronic gadgets puts pressure on bones, joints and responsible for Lifestyle diseases. Yoga is now increasingly used as a wellness solution replacing high cost antibiotic drugs. Employee well-being leads to Cost Savings in terms of personnel by reduced payment of Insurance and Medical Bills. The paper studies the Impact of Yoga to Financial benefits in MSME Organizations in Odisha in light of three different perspectives of Internal Control, Inventory management and Cash Flow. The primary data was collected from a sample of 155 high profile finance executives working in the MSME sector. Ranking Table and Regression Analysis Methodology was used to derive meaningful conclusions. The research takes initiative to transform the effectiveness of Yoga into improved financial health for the Organization. The observation from the study interprets a positive impact of Yoga on good financial health of Organization.

Pound Wise and Penny Foolish? Weight Loss and The Dynamics of Health Care Spending

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G Koch
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Health Care Spending ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Dynamic Measures ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Current estimates of obesity costs ignore the impact of future weight loss and gain, and may either over or underestimate economic consequences of weight loss. In light of this, I construct static and dynamic measures of medical costs associated with body mass index (BMI), to be balanced against the cost of one-time interventions. This study finds that ignoring the implications of weight loss and gain over time overstates the medical-cost savings of such interventions by an order of magnitude. When the relationship between spending and age is allowed to vary, weight-loss attempts appear to be cost-effective starting and ending with middle age. Some interventions recently proven to decrease weight may also be cost-effective.

Global Algorithmic Capital Markets

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Capital Markets ◽  
Systemic Risk ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Investor Protection ◽  
High Frequency Trading ◽  
Market Making ◽  
Market Governance ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
The Impact

This book illustrates and assesses the dramatic recent transformations in capital markets worldwide and the impact of those transformations. ‘Market making’ by humans in centralized markets has been replaced by supercomputers and algorithmic high frequency trading operating in often highly fragmented markets. How do recent market changes impact on core public policy objectives such as investor protection, reduction of systemic risk, fairness, efficiency, and transparency in markets? The operation and health of capital markets affect all of us and have profound implications for equality and justice in society. This unique set of chapters by leading scholars, industry insiders, and regulators sheds light on these and related questions and discusses ways to strengthen market governance for the benefit of society at large.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Reentry and Aftercare Program on Recidivism

2020 ◽  
pp. 003464462097393
Author(s):  
Colin Cannonier ◽  
Monica Galloway Burke ◽  
Ed Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Sample Selection ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Social Program ◽  
Recidivism Rates ◽  
Criminal Justice Reform ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
Reducing Recidivism ◽  
Aftercare Service ◽  
The Impact

In this article, we explore the impact of a reentry and aftercare service program on the likelihood of returning to prison by ex-offenders. Using administrative data within a difference-in-differences design, we find that this social program is associated with a reduction in recidivism rates. Benchmark estimates show that the program was associated with estimated reductions in the probability of recidivating of 6.0 to 8.7 percentage points. The estimate appears to be economically significant as it implies an estimated treated effect in the 15.8% to 19.2% range. We consider the heterogeneous effects of the program on reducing recidivism according to race, age group, and program type. The program helped to reduce recidivism among Whites but not Blacks; older participants were the main beneficiaries while the effectiveness of the program was observed among older participants. Back-of-the-envelope cost-savings analysis is incorporated to estimate the potential savings to the state arising from the reduction in recidivism rates likely attributable to the program. The findings are robust to sample selection bias, alternative specifications, and estimation techniques. Our results offer some implications for the role of faith-based social programs within the context of criminal justice reform to combat reentry of former inmates. They also provide a cautionary tale about the need to evaluate programs not just based on their overall effect.

scholarly journals Crisis Management in Higher Education in the Time of Covid-19: The Case of Actor Training

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Anna McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Actor Training ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Frequency Words

The impact of Covid-19 placed Higher Education leadership in a state of crisis management, where decision making had to be swift and impactful. This research draws on ethea of mindfulness, actor training techniques, referencing high-reliability organisations (HRO). Interviews conducted by the author with three leaders of actor training conservatoires in Higher Education institutions in Australia, the UK and the USA reflect on crisis management actions taken in response to the impact of Covid-19 on their sector, from which high-frequency words are identified and grouped thematically. Reflecting on these high-frequency words and the thematic grouping, a model of mindful leadership is proposed as a positive tool that may enable those in leadership to recognise and respond efficiently to wider structural frailties within Higher Education, with reference to the capacity of leaders to operate with increased mindfulness, enabling a more resilient organisation that unlocks the locus of control.

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