by Matthew Shupe, CIRES/NOAA scientist and co-coordinator of MOSAiC

“Negative” usually carries a bad connotation. But not in this case. We’ve just received the great news that all members of the MOSAiC Leg 4 science party have tested negative for COVID-19. This is tremendous news and is the first step towards getting us successfully to the field to replace our Leg 3 colleagues. We still have further tests to go, and many days left in quarantine, but at least we are starting out in the right direction here. This virus is such a large challenge for the global community, yet we are determined to carry forward with MOSAiC in spite of the challenges. This is really our opportunity. The international research community will likely not be able to come together again like this any time soon….  We really have to carry forward with this unprecedented expedition at this crucial time. We’ve taken a great step forward today.