‘Exhausting.’ ‘Very Strange.’ What It’s Like to Be an Epidemiologist Right Now.

Eleanor Murray feels both burned out and determined to help. Two weeks ago, Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University, had never given an interview; now she’s given a bunch. Her cartoon infographic emphasizing the importance of social distancing has been translated into multiple languages and dialects, including Arabic, Vietnamese, and Cameroonian Pidgin. “It’s really nice to feel like I can do something,” she says. “But there’s also this feeling of ‘Am I doing enough?’”

On Twitter she’s been fielding questions and dispensing bits of wisdom, like “Simulation models aren’t crystal balls” and “For the sake of all that is good, wash your hands.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to claim victims and upend daily life, lots of epidemiologists, particularly those with expertise in infectious diseases, have found themselves suddenly in demand. They’re on TV urging governments to take further action, or on social media explaining how to interpret data about the disease. And we’re turning to them for answers about a new, daunting reality.