It is with pride and excitement that I write today to introduce a new tool launched with collaboration from IDSS: the Covid-19 Testing Impact Calculator at WhenToTest.org.

Developed together with CIMIT, a network of institutions including Mass General that supports healthcare technology innovations, and with funding from NIH, the calculator lets organizations of all kinds and sizes develop data-informed Covid-19 testing plans that can minimize cost and, crucially, the spread of the disease itself.

The tool emerged from a project of the IDSS Covid-19 Collaboration (Isolat) spearheaded by Peko Hosoi, and shows how mask wearing, distancing, and contact tracing impact the need for Covid testing. By inputting some information about these mitigation strategies, organizations like businesses, schools, warehouses, and manufacturing floors can model how many people should be tested daily, and how much testing will cost per week.

Isolat was our way at IDSS to use our unique assortment of interdisciplinary perspectives — along with advanced statistical and computing tools — to inform pandemic policies and ultimately to slow the spread of Covid-19. I hope this tool proves useful as we continue to navigate coronavirus challenges. In the coming months we look forward to feedback and with luck, success stories.

Stay in touch, stay healthy, and stay safe.

Munther Dahleh, Director

William A. Coolidge Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science