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Short answer What to do Getting around while sick at MIT Living situation at MIT Care near MIT When to get help right away Common questions from students Common questions Related questions SourcesWait until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever medicine before going back to class.
The flu spreads fast in dorms. Stay in your room, wear a mask around roommates and drink plenty of fluids.
What to do
- Stay home until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without medicine
- Wear a mask around roommates
- Ask your campus health center about antiviral medicine early, within the first 2 days
- Get a flu shot next season
Getting around while sick at MIT
MIT runs on problem sets and lab hours, so the question is often whether to push through or rest.
You may be riding the Red Line at Kendall/MIT. Stay off crowded trains while you have a fever. If you must travel, wear a mask.
Living situation at MIT
MIT undergraduates live in dorms and in fraternities, sororities and independent living groups, so illness can move through a floor or house quickly. Stay in your room, wear a mask around roommates and keep your own towels and cups.
Care near MIT
Your first stop is usually MIT Medical. Call or check its website for hours and how to be seen. For emergencies, Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge or a Boston hospital across the Charles River or call 911. Pymander is free to text and is not affiliated with MIT. It is a medical AI, not a licensed doctor.
When to get help right away
Trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, a stiff neck with fever, or being unable to keep fluids down are reasons to go to urgent care or the ER, or call 911.
Common questions from students
Can I ride the Red Line with flu? Stay off crowded trains while you have a fever. If you must travel, wear a mask.
What should I tell my roommates at MIT? Stay in your room, wear a mask around roommates and keep your own towels and cups.
Should I tell my professor at MIT? If you will miss class or an exam, email your professor and ask your campus health center for a note if you need one.
Is it a real doctor? No. It is a medical AI system, not a licensed doctor. In an emergency, call 911.
Common questions
Flu at MIT: when can I go back to class?
Wait until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever medicine before going back to class. The flu spreads fast in dorms. Stay in your room, wear a mask around roommates and drink plenty of fluids.
Can I ride the Red Line with flu?
Stay off crowded trains while you have a fever. If you must travel, wear a mask.
What should I tell my roommates at MIT?
Stay in your room, wear a mask around roommates and keep your own towels and cups.
Should I tell my professor at MIT?
If you will miss class or an exam, email your professor and ask your campus health center for a note if you need one.
Is it a real doctor?
No. It is a medical AI system, not a licensed doctor. In an emergency, call 911.