And compared to the devastating SARS epidemic, Liu said the new strain of the H1N1 flu was a piece of cake.

"I would be lying if I said we are not tired, but the difference between treating SARS and this is that most people under observation are healthy, so more of our time is actually spent alleviating their psychological burden and anxiety," she said, explaining staff at the hospital had tried various ways to cheer up their charges.

"One girl was so depressed she refused to eat and drink when she first arrived," said Liu. "She would just stare endlessly out the window of the observation room. But a nurse chatted with her for almost a day and, after that, she got much better."

Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Patient Yang Wei, who was discharged from quarantine on Tuesday, told China Daily: "I have been deeply moved by the medical staff's behavior during my three days under observation. They did more than a nurse or doctor normally would.

"They were not only concerned about my physical condition, but also took care of my daily meals and even bought newspapers and fashion magazines for me."

Dealing with foreigners has proved one of the biggest challenges for nurses. Of the 119 people so far isolated in the hospital because of their contact with suspected or confirmed H1N1 flu cases, 49 have been from overseas.

Liu said hospital staff often joked they were working at the United Nations as they have had to cope with 23 different nationalities.

Among those in observation at Ditan was an Italian couple who traveled to China on their honeymoon - unfortunately on the same flight as a suspected virus patient.

 "They were nervous when they first arrived," said Liu, "so to make them feel at home we sent staff to buy them some spaghetti. They were very happy after that. Also, we would greet them in Italian, saying buongiorno instead of hello, which we picked up from the in-house translator.

"They were here for three days and when they were discharged they said they would continue with their original plans to explore China."