The Coronavirus Update

All from this series

  • Labs donate protective equipment to health care workers

    As University facilities close, faculty and staff gather gear to pass along amid a nationwide shortage.

    Fist bump wearing gloves.
  • Will inequality worsen the toll of the pandemic in the U.S.?

    America’s ragged social safety net and large inequity between rich and poor may set it up for a rough road ahead as it deals with the coronavirus epidemic, a Harvard Chan School professor said Tuesday.

    People standing in line but keeping their distance.
  • Harvard coronavirus survey: How’re we doing? Not bad so far

    An ongoing survey by researchers at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative is examining public attitudes toward the coronavirus pandemic.

    Smiling woman in a window.
  • Bringing (virtual) normalcy to the community

    A roundup of efforts by the Harvard community to use the web to maintain connection and a sense of kinship.

    Woman meditating.
  • A recession playbook

    Thomas Hollister details the planning the University had already done for the eventuality of a downturn and what the future may bring amid the coronavirus outbreak.

    Tom Hollister.
  • Could a new test identify immunity?

    Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch outlined several scenarios — most of them bad — for getting America back to work

    Doctors and nurses walking down a corridor.
  • At graduate Schools, reinvention on the fly

    Harvard’s graduate and professional Schools have had to adjust quickly to the new realities brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

    Match Day 2019 at Harvard Medical School.
  • Getting ready for the inevitable

    Harvard Medical School faculty members and their colleagues at Partners In Health are collaborating with local communities and national governments to help prepare some of the world’s most vulnerable people for the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Man in supply warehouse.
  • Scaled-down labs felt ‘this special responsibility’

    Harvard scientists put their research on hold for safety, and see chance to help hospitals with precious gear.

    Empty lab.
  • ‘There will be cascading failures that get fixed on the fly’

    The massive shift from the office to remote work will test the internet in ways it hasn’t been tested before, a Harvard expert on the technology industry said, offering a real-time experiment that will likely see failures, but from which unexpected solutions will also emerge.

    View from above of city network of lights.
  • App predicts hospital capacity

    Harvard’s Global Health Institute puts its research expertise into motion, helping hospitals assess capacity and quality of care so they can prepare for COVID-19 patients appropriately.

    Screen shot of data from the model.
  • An update of changes on campus as pandemic spreads

    Changes across Harvard’s campus reflect the need to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    John Harvard Statue with mask on.
  • Talking about the emotional toll of the pandemic

    The Harvard Chan School of Public Health will launch a series of weekly interactive forums to discuss issues and options.

    Empty auditorium.
  • Why odds of a coronavirus recession have risen

    An interview with economist Jeffrey Frankel, James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth at Harvard Kennedy School, about the economic impact of the coronavirus on both the world and the U.S. economy.

    Jeffrey Frankel.
  • Homeward bound

    To protect the health of the Harvard Medical School community, first-year Medical and Dental School students, as well as second- and third-year dental students, were asked to vacate their rooms in Vanderbilt Hall. Research laboratories will also be shuttered by 5 p.m. on March 18.

    Two students with suitcases.
  • Coronavirus economic fallout won’t be ‘done with by June’

    A Harvard Business School expert on Asian industry said restarting the global economy in COVID-19’s wake won’t be easy, and the task won’t begin until the worst effects are past, perhaps months from now.

    Shipping containers with China stamped on them.
  • House staff and volunteers roll up sleeves

    It’s all hands on deck to help students arrange travel, ship and store their stuff, and depart campus.

    Staff member cleaning room.
  • COVID test debacle: ‘We hoped it would go away before it reached us’

    Massachusetts may need 1.4 million COVID-19 tests and ramp up to tens of thousands given a day, Harvard experts said.

    SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • What new U.S. travel rules mean for foreign students, scholars

    Mark Elliott, vice provost for international affairs, and Martha Gladue, director of the Harvard International Office, discuss what the new U.S. travel rules mean for foreign students, scholars, and those studying abroad.

    Student looking at flights.
  • The show must stop

    The American Repertory Theater has canceled or postponed a series of upcoming events in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    American Repertory Theater.
  • Designing a coronavirus vaccine

    In response to this public health crisis, researchers in the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital are on the front lines of developing a vaccine specially targeted toward older populations

    Illustration of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
  • Managing the coronavirus exodus from campus

    Vice President for Campus Services Meredith Weenick on the challenges of preventing the spread of disease and helping students move out on a tight timeline.

    Cleaning a shuttle bus.
  • ‘Unsteady,’ ‘lucky,’ and ‘overwhelmed’

    Harvard students reflect on the shift to online classes and an unplanned move home.

    Tajrean Rahman, Hannah Thurlby, and Victor Qin.
  • Vital challenge, for those always ready

    With cases of COVID-19 multiplying, a Massachusetts General Hospital preparedness expert discusses existing challenges and the ways first responders can get ready to meet the new coronavirus.

    Fireman, EMT and doctor next to ambulance.
  • Harvard museums temporarily close

    Harvard Art Museums and others will temporarily close to the public beginning March 13 in an effort to slow the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

    Museum door with sign.
  • In HR, preparing for a challenge

    At Harvard, the rise of coronavirus prompts new approaches to work, fresh concerns for those who do it, says Vice President for Human Resources Marilyn Hausammann.

    Massachusetts Hall at Harvard.
  • University offers coronavirus resources and help guides

    University offers coronavirus resources and help guides for students, professors, and staff.

    People with packing boxes.
  • ‘Worry about 4 weeks from now,’ epidemiologist warns

    Harvard epidemiologist says U.S. needs to dramatically increase testing and social distancing, adding to the closings, cancellations, and shifts online.

    An empty Quincy Market in Boston.
  • A virus that targets the elderly

    Harvard-affiliated doctors try to safeguard nursing-home patients from COVID-19 by reducing number of visitors, adding health screenings.

    Older man looking out of window.
  • Q&A on Harvard’s move to online learning

    To prevent transmission of COVID-19, Harvard will provide virtual instruction for as many courses as possible by March 23, the first day of scheduled classes following spring break. In a question-and-answer session, three top Harvard officials explain the shift.

    Annenberg Hall/