With the number of
SARS
cases increasing daily on China's mainland, local universities are
adopting a series of measures to protect students and teachers from
the deadly virus.
Many schools have canceled or postponed large forums and lectures,
are disinfecting classrooms and dormitories on a regular basis, and
have set up isolation wards at campus clinics, according to 10
Shanghai universities contacted yesterday by Shanghai Daily.
Universities are also handing out thousands of thermometers so
students can take their temperature, one way of detecting SARS
symptoms at an early stage.
A
guideline issued by the Ministry of Education stipulates that every
dorm room should have one thermometer, but some local universities,
such as Jiao Tong, Fudan and East China University of Politics and
Law, are providing each student with their own thermometer to
prevent "possible infection."
At
Shanghai Teachers University, each student must report his or her
temperature to a teacher every morning, to ensure students are
watching for symptoms of SARS.
Schools are also controlling the flow of people onto campus to
protect against the disease.
Jiao Tong University and Shanghai University of Finance and
Economics are checking student certificates at campus gateways and
turning away any non-students without a good reason for being at
the school.
The 10 universities said they have a few students or faculties
reporting symptoms of SARS, although various rumors have spread
quickly among students.
"One of our librarians was suspected of being infected by SARS
after he came back from Hong Kong a few days ago, but later the
person was dignosised of not having SARS and released from
hospital," said Zhong Lixin with East China Normal University.
"One of our students reported a fever yesterday, so he was taken to
the isolation ward at our clinic, but he was released this morning
as his fever allayed," said Gu Weiming with East China University
of Politics and Law yesterday.
Some students say their universities aren't taking enough
precautions.
"Why don't they isolate every student and teacher that returns from
heavily hit areas such as Beijing and Hong Kong? Nobody can assure
that they are not in the latent period," said a student at Shanghai
University of Finance and Economics.
(eastday.com April 23, 2003)