How has the Tufts community responded to COVID-19?
That's a question with 19 answers.
So, we are reclaiming the number 19.
First, there's the volunteerism of our students...
A couple of Fletcher students became aware of a donation
of nearly 5,000 masks in storage, but the straps had decayed.
They worked for two weeks to repair nearly 5,000 masks.
And they made a real and substantive impact
on healthcare workers on the front lines of COVID-19.
It's a big deal.
Our faculty have shared their expertise.
So what they're seeing in COVID-19 patients
is that sometimes the immune system isn't able to turn off
and this is called a cytokine storm.
Responding to questions like these.
They've changed how they teach our students...
This is sort of new world of education...
I think it's going to be quite sticky... a lot of what
we're going to experiment with and discover now
is things that we're going to keep doing in the future.
...and guided parents in teaching the students
they suddenly have.
You have responded by admitting what has been difficult...
The hardest part about all this has been being separated
from campus. No one thought this was how senior spring
was going to go, but we've just been trying to make the most
out of it.
And also by bringing a smile to others...
Trying to put on a happy face,
Oh, sorry, I should remove this.
So I'm trying to put on a happy face...
aw, who put that there?
I miss seeing you and meeting with you
and attending your fabulous events.
And I even miss seeing the dirty dishes in the sink
at the Africana Center.
You've responded with ingenuity.
That means that we were able to take
some of that expertise and leverage it
to do quick modeling to match from hospitals to campuses.
Here's what the basic tool lets you do:
It lets you look at the whole state or zoom in
with a mapping tool on different parts of the state
and then it lets you toggle the dorm capacity cap.
You've responded with inventiveness.
Social isolation is a huge problem with older adults.
The situation with COVID-19 is making it even worse.
What we're hoping to do is make it as easy as possible
to connect with older adults,
to learn about any fluctuations in their temperature,
and to provide them help immediately if they need it.
There's been respiration...
and inspiration
Tufts University, just outside Boston, Massachusetts,
has transformed parts of its campus into a military-style
hospital, and students are also now using their skills
to support the healthcare system.
Tufts University is now moving to help out...
the university says that it is making its residence halls
available for medical personnel, first responders,
and patients, including those that are recovering
from COVID-19.
Medical personnel and first responders from Somerville
and Medford... they will be able to stay here on campus
instead of returning home and possibly infecting
their families.
You've helped our students in need.
Because of the kindness and generosity,
any student who has needed help has been able to find it
through the Unexpected Hardship Fund.
We have been able to fly hundreds of students home
who wouldn't have been able to get a ticket home otherwise,
we were able to support students who lost income
because of work-study jobs, we've been able to help students
access laptops and WiFi who needed them
to be able to complete their coursework.
Because of that generosity, anyone who has needed help
has found it.
You've raised your hand to be of service...
You've supported those on the front lines...
One of the most important things
about being a dental student is having manual dexterity.
So I thought maybe I would bring this
to my Tufts Dental family to see if anyone was interested
in making masks.
As of now, we have over 100 volunteers
who've made and delivered over 1,000 face masks,
200 face shields, and many thank-you cards.
William made an adapter that could connect
some kind of filter that they could get in a large quantity
onto the mask so that they could be hooked together.
Still wear the scuba mask but you could also filter out
the virus.
Because we have been through this,
I think we have a better position to understand
and embrace the compassion, care, love, and support
at this difficult time.
And you've celebrated those about to join
the front lines.
Tufts is deeply proud of the members of our community,
whether you're part of leading the fight around the globe
...or you're caring for individuals who need you.
Those are 19 of our--of your responses--to COVID-19.
Make no mistake: it's 19 and counting.