UNL Statistics Professor Develops App for Group COVID-19 Testing

April 22, 2020, 5:45 p.m. ·

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Group testing of specimens can save COVID-19 tests. A University of Nebraska Lincoln professor devised an app which can decide what group test is most appropriate.


Dr. Chris Bilder and UNL graduate student Brianna Hitt developed the app to decide group size for testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

Bilder has advised the Nebraska Public Health Lab, which started testing groups of five specimens. Bilder says that group size was based on the prevalence of positive tests, which was around 5% at the time.

“One of the strengths of using group testing is that the smaller that prevalence is the more benefits there are to using it if you allow for a larger group size,” Bilder said. “And so that’s what I hope will eventually happen as we are testing more and more people and making the requirements to receive a test not as stringent.”

Bilder has also worked with labs and researchers around the country.