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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 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 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. Do not ride crowded trains or go to the dining hall until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
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. Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
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 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 MIT? Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
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
Stomach bug at MIT: 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 MIT?
Use a separate bathroom if you can, and clean shared surfaces with a bleach-based product.
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.