With measures underway to stop the spread of COVID-19, testing and contact tracing are key to a critical public health initiative designed to protect individuals and contain the spread of the coronavirus within communities. However, many questions have surfaced about the methodology: How is contact tracing done? How successful has it been in previous infectious disease crises? Are smartphones necessary for contact tracing; and if so, how reliable is the technology to achieve that objective? In light of this access to our information, what concerns should individuals have about data privacy, and what are the boundaries with respect to the rights of government, employers, and individuals?
This Keynote brings together Cornell technology and medical experts to discuss the importance of testing as an essential initiative to protect the well-being of our population and examine the ethical issues that are being raised with regard to combating the spread of COVID-19 through testing and contact tracing.
