As our community faces uncertain challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, MPWB feels obliged to recognize this and share some important thoughts with our community.

First, it is of paramount importance that you follow directives of your local health authorities. Many jurisdictions are implementing strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus through social distancing and density reduction measures. The World Health Organization has helpful information on the public and health care workers. Please refer to your local and national health authorities for local directives and best practices. As healthcare workers, we have a collective responsibility to the patients and the public we serve.

Second, in a time of crisis it is always helpful to undertake some self-reflection. Many lives are being disrupted with these challenges: daycare closures, workplace changes, and many of you may be feeling the direct impacts of the virus yourselves. These events are occurring at a rapid rate and can be unsettling. We want to assure the MPWB community to ‘Keep Calm and Curie On!’. We encourage you to stay healthy physically and mentally! The US CDC has resources for the latter.

These challenges will certainly impact the medical physics community. Many centers are unable to operate to their capacity, and others have their resources stretched thin. There is evidence that these challenges will persist for several weeks, if not months. This can be particularly frustrating for Medical Physicists who are natural problem solvers. We are particularly concerned over how this pandemic will affect low and middle income countries and their ability to safely deliver patient care. If you have ideas or thoughts on how we might be able to help solve these problems, we encourage you to share them with your local leaders. Please also feel free to use our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn social- media channels to share your thoughts. If you have thoughts or suggestions on how MPWB might be able to help with this pandemic, please share them through our social media channels or through medphyswb@gmail.com.