Data is the New Weapon Against COVID-19

COVID-19 has put how we live, work and think about the future into new and unfamiliar territory. Fortunately, the SAS institute (SAS) — who has always provided solutions for health care, pharmaceuticals and government agencies — has committed to helping people stay safe during this time. Their primary weapon, Data Analytics.

SAS has created the COVID-19 Science Advisory Core Team (C-SAT) to help combat the pandemic. C-SAT meets every day to advise on the science and analytics behind all the COVID-19 projects. Natalia Summerville, ISE Adjunct Professor, is a member of C-SAT. “I did not doubt joining for one second. I have always been extremely passionate about Data 4 Good, and this was just meant to be,” she explained.

Urgency is a crucial component, and SAS has been moving at an incredible pace to help. Summerville’s skills in operations research and technical management are a huge advantage to the team. C-SAT is working with state governments and hospitals to help them deal with peak demand and high stress on systems. Their network analytics initiatives are improving the virus spread and location risk assessments. “We are working with our customers to find ways to help them serve their customers and constituents through this difficult time by helping the public sector predict the spread of the virus,” said Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS. “This ensures strong supply chains for medical, food and retail supplies, and optimizing health care workforces and facilities.”

While C-SAT is only temporary, their efforts in advancing analytics to battle the virus are astounding. “It has been an honor to be part of this,” shared Summerville. “It is very motivating, even if exhausting, to try and help as much as possible with our software and our skills.”

About the SAS Institute

SAS is a multinational developer of analytics software based in Cary, North Carolina. The company is the world’s largest privately held software business, and its software is used by most of the Fortune 500.

SAS Institute started as a project at NC State University to create a statistical analysis system that was initially used primarily by agricultural departments at universities in the late 1960s. It became an independent, private business led by current CEO James Goodnight and three other project leaders from the university in 1976.