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Short answer What to do Getting around while sick at Harvard Living situation at Harvard Care near Harvard When to get help right away Common questions from students Common questions Related questions SourcesWait at least 48 hours after your vomiting and diarrhea stop before going back to class or the dining hall.
Norovirus spreads through dorms and dining halls. You can still spread it for days after you feel better.
What to do
- Sip fluids often and rest
- Wash your hands with soap and water, because hand sanitizer is not enough
- Clean shared bathrooms with a bleach-based product
- Stay out of the dining hall for 48 hours after symptoms stop
Getting around while sick at Harvard
Harvard students often share dorms, houses and dining halls, so what you have can reach your roommates fast.
You may be riding the Red Line at Harvard Square. Do not ride crowded trains or go to the dining hall until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Living situation at Harvard
First-years live in and around Harvard Yard, and upperclass students live in the residential Houses, so you may share a bathroom or dining hall with many people. Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
Care near Harvard
Your first stop is usually Harvard University Health Services (HUHS). Call or check its website for hours and how to be seen. For emergencies, Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge or call 911. Pymander is free to text and is not affiliated with Harvard University. 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 a stomach bug? Do not ride crowded trains or go to the dining hall until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
What should I tell my roommates at Harvard? Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
Should I tell my professor at Harvard? 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
Stomach bug at Harvard: when can I go back to class?
Wait at least 48 hours after your vomiting and diarrhea stop before going back to class or the dining hall. Norovirus spreads through dorms and dining halls. You can still spread it for days after you feel better.
Can I ride the Red Line with a stomach bug?
Do not ride crowded trains or go to the dining hall until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
What should I tell my roommates at Harvard?
Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
Should I tell my professor at Harvard?
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.