Prof. Des McLernon, PhD.
School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University of Leeds
United Kingdom
https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/electronic-engineering/staff/98/dr-des-mclernon
November 12th, 2021 - 11:30- 12:30
Session Chair : Aldo Orozco  

Title: An Introductory Tutorial (From an Engineering Perspective) on the Maths Behind Covid-19

Abstract:
My research and publications over many years has been in signal processing and wireless communications. But the last twenty months have changed our perspectives and just for this talk I would like to look at something very different.
Because of the new virus severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease (COVID-19), we have sadly all become familiar with words like ‘test accuracy’, ‘sensitivity’, ‘specificity’, ‘R-number’, ‘false positives/negatives’, ‘vaccine efficacy’, herd immunity, etc.
But the maths behind many of these terms, and in particular those associated with the virus testing process, are very similar to concepts from an undergraduate engineering degree when dealing with binary decisions in digital communications, radar or sonar. But often different disciplines confusingly use different terminology for the same basic concepts!
So in this tutorial, I will start by putting COVID-19 in historical context (including terms like R and K numbers, SIR model, herd immunity, etc.) and then look at how we can view the virus testing process and analyse its performance with the binary symmetrical channel (BSC) familiar to all engineering undergraduates studying digital communications. Using the BSC I will derive performance measures, suggest improvements and also show how even the receiver operating curves (ROCs) from radar and sonar can be useful.
But notwithstanding the rigour of all the scientific methods used in the testing/analysis/modelling the spread of covid-19, conspiracy theorists around the world still claim that the whole pandemic is being manipulated by a “sinister new world order” headed by Bill Gates. They claim that he seeks to depopulate the earth and impregnate (and control) us with microchips through the covid-19 vaccine while radio frequency signals from 5G will destroy DNA and actually spread covid! I’ll touch on the danger of these ideas that hinder nearly full vaccination/herd immunity and show how they can be countered notwithstanding the support of fellow travellers like ex US President Donald Trump.
Finally – this introductory tutorial assumes no prior mathematical knowledge above first year university engineering degree level.

Short Bio
Des McLernon received his B.Sc in electronic and electrical engineering and his MSc in electronics, both from the Queen’s University of Belfast, N. Ireland. He then worked on radar systems research and development with Ferranti Ltd in Edinburgh, Scotland and later joined Imperial College, University of London, where he took his PhD in signal processing. His research interests are broadly within the domain of signal processing for wireless communications (in which area he has published over 340 journal and conference papers). He has supervised over 50 PhD students and is associate editor of IET journal “Signal Processing”. Recent conference organisation includes IEEE SPAWC 2010, European Signal Processing Conference (EUSIPCO) 2013, IET Conference on Intelligent Signal Processing (London, 2013/2015/2017), IEEE Globecom 2014/2015/2016 (Workshop on Trusted Communications with Physical Layer Security) and the First International Workshop on Digital Technologies for Global Challenges (Leeds University, 27-28 June 2019).