Prevention and control of COVID-19 in public transportation: experience from China

Abstract Due to continuous spread worldwide of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), long-term effective prevention and control measures should be adopted for public transport facilities, as they are increasing in popularity and serve as the principal method for trip for many people. The human infection risk could be extremely high due to length of exposure time window, transmission route and structural characteristics during travel or work. This can result in the rapid spread of the pandemic. Based on the transmission characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and the nature of public transport sites, we identified comprehensive countermeasures toward the prevention and control of COVID-19, including: strengthening personnel management, personal protection, environmental cleaning and disinfection, health education. Multi-pronged strategies can enhance safety during public transportation. The prevention and control of the disease during public transportation will be particularly important when all countries in the world resume production. The aim of this study is to introduce experience of the prevention and control measures for public transportation in China to promote the global fight against COVID-19.