| Taking Action | | | | | | “Is all this disruption really necessary? We believe the answer is yes,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif and counterparts Lawrence Bacow ’72 of Harvard University and Marc Tessier-Lavigne of Stanford University write in The New York Times, on the “painful steps” needed to address Covid-19. “The time to act is right now.” |
| Updates to the MIT community regarding Covid-19 |
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| Covid-19 diagnostic based on MIT technology might be tested on patient samples soon A variety of MIT research projects could aid efforts to detect and prevent the spread of coronavirus. |  |
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| How to manage the hidden risks in remote work Remote work can work. But without careful attention, productivity and sound decision-making will suffer. |  |
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| Early warning of disease exposure could improve public health responses |
Lincoln Laboratory researchers explore the impact of technology that detects a person’s exposure to disease-causing pathogens before symptoms manifest. |  |
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| Letter regarding solidarity and support for the community President L. Rafael Reif sent a letter expressing gratitude and admiration to the MIT community March 16. |  |
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| What to let the kids watch when you’re all stuck at home // The Wall Street Journal Scratch — a free programming language developed at MIT that allows children to program their own interactive stories, games, and animations — is highlighted in a roundup of some of the best options for high-quality screen time. |
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| How touching your face can spread viruses — and why you’re so bad at avoiding it // STAT MIT researchers demonstrate how washing your hands at the airport can aid in effectively curbing the spread of disease. |
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| For math fans, nothing can spoil Pi Day — except maybe Tau Day // The Wall Street Journal Stuart Schmill, dean of MIT Admissions and Student Financial Services, discusses the Institute’s tradition of releasing admissions decisions on Pi Day. |
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| Covid-19: Now we know what it’s like to be old and alone // Forbes Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab, writes that social distancing “can serve as an exercise in empathy (albeit an imperfect one), permitting younger people to appreciate some of what many older adults go through every day.” |
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| | | Social distancing, self-monitoring, self-quarantine: You’ve probably been hearing these terms a lot this week but might not know what they mean, or if and when to practice them. A new resource developed by MIT Medical, including an action map and guide, may help you make important behavioral decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Love in the Time of Corona | | |
| | | In her recent MIT Admissions blog post, junior Afeefah K. describes support for students leaving campus on short notice: “The people at MIT are freaking amazing y’all and I really couldn’t ask for a better place to be kicked out of.” |
 | | | | I am exhausted. We all are. To those of you trying to keep it together for your staff, students, family, etc. — I see you. Mad respect. I just took 15 minutes to close my door and cry. Not looking for sympathy, just want to normalize it. None of us can be superhuman right now. |
| | —Chris Bourg, director of the MIT Libraries, on the importance of self care during extraordinary times |
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