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)