Universities are recalling students who are studying in China because of fears for their health, as institutions struggle to find a coherent response to the Sars crisis.
As thousands of students return from their Easter vacations, several universities and student unions have revised websites after it emerged that their initial guidance - which suggested that those returning from affected areas should stay away from crowded places for three days - would do nothing to contain an outbreak.
Official guidance from the Public Health Laboratory Service states that students from affected areas should return to education as normal unless they display any symptoms, and that even those who have come into contact with a probable Sars case do not need to be isolated as long as their health is monitored.
While many boarding schools have insisted that pupils enter quarantine before starting the summer term, no universities have taken such steps and most are trying to play down the health scare. A typical statement, from the University of Luton, is headed "Sars: reassurance" and stresses that the risk is minimal.
Some colleges are plastering information posters around campuses and others are ringing each student who has spent the holiday in east Asia, to make sure they are aware of the symptoms of the illness and how to respond. The University of Wales in Swansea has emailed all students about the virus and has issued fuller letters in English and Mandarin to all Chinese students.
Sheffield and Durham universities and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London are recalling students from China, curtailing their year of foreign study two months early, but see no need for them to isolate themselves when they return.
A spokesman for Sheffield University said: "We are making sure people are aware of the symptoms, but we don't want to cause mass panic. We are following the guidlelines and keeping an eye on things. We take student welfare very seriously, but we don't want to blow it up into a huge thing.
"We don't advise people to quarantine themselves. They could be quarantining themselves for a very long time and the risk is all but nil."
The university is recalling 13 students studying in Nanjing, southern China. "We are telling them to come home via Shanghai rather than Beijing or Hong Kong.
"We are also emailing individual heads of departments to tell them that if any of their researchers or students are in those areas, they should tell them to come home."
Ten students from Durham who are studing at Renmin University in Beijing are due to return shortly. "They will follow a condensed teaching programme later in the term to substitute for their studies in China," said a spokeswoman.
Portsmouth University's website was one of those which initially suggested that overseas students should return early for the new term.
"This is to enable them to avoid crowded places, such as lectures or parties, for a period of three days after arriving in the UK," it added.
"It should be noted that the risk of infection is reduced by keeping away from cigarette smoke and those who smoke; by using clean handkerchiefs; and by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables daily."
In fact, pointed out Tony Hart, head of microbiology at Liverpool University, those precautions would be of little use. The incubation period of Sars is about 10 days and there is "no evidence at all" that Sars is more likely to infect passive smokers.
Mike Bateman, pro-vice chancellor of Portsmouth University, said it was revising the information after further advice and had put up posters on the campus to update students.
