​Coronavirus: SMART Disinfecting Trains, Providing Sanitizer

NORTH BAY, CA — The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District is taking steps to protect against the potential spread of the new coronavirus.

Trains are being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected twice a day, at midday and at night, according to SMART.

SMART is also installing two hand sanitizer dispensers on each train. The installation of the dispensers is expected to be completed by early next week.

"While there is no increased risk to transit riders, we want to assure you that we are continuing to be proactive to help protect the health of our riders and our staff," SMART officials said in a news release.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The COVID-19 strain that emerged in China in late 2019 is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There currently is no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.