In hopes of developing a treatment for Covid-19, a team of chemists has designed a drug candidate that may block coronaviruses’ ability to enter human cells. It binds to the protein that the viruses use to enter cells, potentially disarming it.
A team of MIT chemists may have designed a drug candidate that can block the coronavirus // Fast Company
MIT researchers have developed a potential new drug candidate that “can bind to the viral protein that the coronavirus uses to enter human cells, potentially disarming it.”
Shutting down the economy during a pandemic may be the best way to protect the economy // Quartz
A study co-authored by Assistant Professor Emil Verner finds “aggressive social distancing measures, while extremely disruptive to commerce in the near term, can result in faster economic growth when the disease subsides.”
A possible path to protect our economy and hospitals from the coronavirus // The Boston Globe
“In the United States, there’s more we can and should do to focus on high-risk patients and high-risk clusters,” write professors Simon Johnson and Retsef Levi. “It’s essential we pursue these strategies immediately to avoid choosing between collapsing our economy or our health care system — and the loss of life that would entail.”
Lessons from the Spanish flu: Social distancing can be good for the economy // The Economist
Researchers from MIT and the Federal Reserve analyzed data from the 1918 flu pandemic and found “the notion that reducing deaths from a pandemic necessarily hurts the economy is false.”
While much of the MIT campus is quiet, MIT Mail Services has seen a steady stream of activity as it acts as the staging and sorting area for thousands of donated units of personal protective equipment (PPE) from across campus. By March 30 more than 50 departments, labs, and centers — as well as individual community members — have responded to a call to donate extra, unopened PPE to support area hospitals and front-line health care workers in need. MIT labs that may be able to help in the collection of additional PPE are encouraged to email [email protected] for more information.
Community Wellness at MIT Medical has compiled numerous resources to help individuals reduce stress, build routine, and find connection. MIT community members can register for free virtual wellness classes, parenting resources, and more. Free, shareable wellness offerings include a new video message about stress and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic and a fantastic list of sleep resources for improved rest and relaxation.
