The Chinese epidemic prevention sector is working closely with the country's transportation sector, specifically, with bus, railway and airport passenger terminals in the prevention and monitoring of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

"We are currently working at the Beijing West Railway Station to help the railway sector prevent the spread of SARS in railway cars," said Qiu Jian, director of the monitoring department of the Beijing Railway Epidemic Prevention Station situated at the Beijing West Railway Station, on Monday.

Qiu and his five colleagues have been working at the station since the end of March. They inspect trains and public areas of the station every day and supervise the sterilization work to prevent the epidemic from spreading among passengers.

One of Beijing's two major passenger railway stations, the Beijing West Railway Station covers an area of 150,000 square meters. Every day, about 50,000 passengers exit and enter the station.

Guo Qifu, deputy head of the station, said that all of the windows in the waiting rooms have been opened to increase ventilation, which is thought to be one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease.

"All station employees have been fully informed about the symptoms and preventive measures," said Guo. "In the event of an emergency, they have also been instructed on how to report it to the relevant epidemic prevention sectors, how to deal with it and how to isolate the patient."

Guo said a temporary quarantine room has been set up in the station for possible medical treatment and isolation, with the help of epidemic and health authorities.

The same measures have also been adopted in the Beijing Railway Station, which sees a higher passenger volume than the Beijing West Railway Station.

According to Qiu Jian, in addition to railway stations in Beijing, four other local railway branches under the control of the Beijing Railway Bureau, in Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan and Datong, have all taken similar measures to prevent the spread of SARS in the railway sector.

The latest statistics from China's Ministry of Health show that the cumulative number of SARS cases has reached 1,418, with 64 deaths. A total of 1,088 patients have been discharged from the hospital.

A notice issued Monday by the Ministries of Health, Finance, Railways, Communications and the General Administration of Civil Aviation said that all planes, trains, ships, automobiles, exit and entry ports, stations and airports, should strengthen their sterilization and quarantine work to prevent the spread of SARS through vehicles.

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2003)