Tamkang University (TKU) President Chang Horng-jinh wrote a letter to all faculty, staff and students on May 5, 2003 in which Chang stressed that school authorities have already adopted a series of countermeasures to prevent the epidemic severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from further spreading and to ensure the health and safety of all members of TKU family.

Full text of the President’s letter is as follows:

Dear colleagues and students,

In order to prevent the epidemic SARS from further spreading, TKU has already set up an “ Anti-SARS Committee” under the command of myself according to an instruction of Ministry of Education (MOE). Coping with the epidemic in a prudent attitude, we have set up informing and supervising operational process and adopted a series of countermeasures to ensure the safety of all members of TKU family.

TKU has so far found two SARS suspect cases; one is a student of Department of International Trade (DIT) and the other is a student of Graduate Institute of Computer Science and Information Engineering (GICSIE).

The DIT student has been quite weak since she was a child. A trip to the beach on April 22 brought her a fever next day. The Veterans General Hospital in Taipei confirmed her as a SARS suspect on April 27 and transferred her to Sungshan Armed Forces Hospital on April 28 due to high temperature, pneumonia syndrome, and coughing. She is now in a stable condition and her temperature dropped to the normal.

The second case is a graduate student of GICSIE. Her boyfriend returned from Mainland China on April 27 and she had a fever on April 29. They went to the Veterans General Hospital immediately and were diagnosed as SARS suspects. They were transferred to Sungshan Armed Forces Hospital for quarantine and treatment. Now their conditions are very good. School authorities have at once requested the related classmates for home quarantine after receiving a notice from the Sanitation Department of Taipei County Government. TKU authorities have prepared lunch boxes, masks, and disinfected water for those who are quarantine at home. They are all very healthy and will return to class in a couple of days. Actually, school authorities have already disinfected both Tamsui and Taipei campuses, including buildings and the ground during Spring Holidays and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) has already conducted the anti-SARS propaganda. In order to prevent SARS, President Chang has asked Office of General Affairs (OGA) to fumigate all buildings of Tamsui and Taipei campuses weekly from April 29 till SARS is no longer threatening. SARS preventive measures were posted at every classroom and windows of the classroom should keep open for air circulation. A temperature-taking station was set up at the entrance of Chueh-sheng Memorial Library and Taipei Campus, respectively, so as to put the epidemic SARS under control.

We should avoid panic because it is the greatest enemy when facing situation like SARS epidemic. SARS is a virus and there are no vaccine and drugs existing to treat it at present. Therefore, the most important thing is to upraise the personal immunity. I called on every member of TKU family to take balanced diet, keep environmental sanitation, wash hands frequently, take care of respiratory conditions and go to hospital immediately when having symptoms of SARS. You are advised not to visit SARS-infected regions, not to visit friends hospitalized, and not to go to the crowded public places. In addition to making contact with Bureau of Communicable Disease Control (BCDC), please call Tel. No. 0800-024-582. In case you have symptoms of SARS—temperature over 38 degree, cough, and difficult respiration, you should inform Personnel Office and Office of Student Affairs by telephone or e-mail. Every department and graduate institute are requested to keep close contact with students and supply their address and telephone number to the related units when a special situation occurs. In addition, school authorities have published SARS and related news at TKU website. Also three websites about the epidemic SARS are for your reference.

1. www.cdc.gov.tw; 2. www.cdc.gov; 3. www.who.int.

School authorities will continue to implement SARS preventive measures so as to ensure the safety and security of all members of TKU family.

Yours Truly,

Chang Horng-jinh (signature)

President of Tamkang University

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