VOA慢速英语--联合国卫生署敦促继续采取措施阻止冠状病毒传播

UN Health Agency Urges Continued Measures to Stop Coronavirus Spread

The World Health Organization (WHO) says measures to fight the Delta¹ variant² of the COVID-19 virus should remain the basis for controlling the pandemic. But, the officials also said recent orders of travel restrictions³ by some countries may help slow the spread of Omicron, a newer version of the virus.

Many countries around the world have reported Omicron infections.

Small numbers of cases have been reported outside of South Africa, where Omicron was first identified. Now, South Africa is facing a big increase in COVID-19 cases. The new variant is responsible for most new cases there.

Omicron infections have since appeared in more than 35 countries.

However, much remains⁴ unclear about the variant. It is unclear if it is more infectious. It also is not known whether it makes people sicker, or whether vaccines⁵ are less effective against it.

Dr. Takeshi Kasai is the WHO director for the Western Pacific area. He told reporters last Friday: "Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time."

Kasai added that every country must prepare for an increase in cases.

However, Kasai said there was good news too. "None of the information we have currently about omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response," he said.

WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure said that means continuing to push for vaccinations⁶ rates, social-distancing and wearing face coverings.

He added that health systems must make sure beds in intensive care areas of hospitals are available to meet increased need.

Question about Omicron

Officials in several southern African countries have denounced restrictions on travelers from the area. They say they are being punished for officially reporting the new variant.

Scientists are trying to learn more about Omicron. The WHO had already identified it as a variant of concern. Kasai said that is because of the number of its mutations and because early information suggests it may be more infectious than other variants⁸.

A few countries in the Western Pacific were facing surges that began before Omicron was identified. But COVID-19 cases and deaths in many others have decreased or remained unchanged, Kasai said.

That could change. Among the places that have found the variant are Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. It is likely to appear in more places.

Omicron is of particular concern for organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which start on February 4. A spokesperson for the organizing committee told reporters that China is putting in place a new series of measures to reduce the risk of virus spread during the Games.

Chinese officials say they have put in place a zero-tolerance policy. The country has some of the world's most severe border controls. Those taking part in the Games, as workers or competitors, will have to stay inside a restricted area for the entire period they are involved. Only vaccinated⁹ people who live in China will be permitted to attend the two-week-long sports event.

Around the world, cases have been increasing for about seven weeks and the number of deaths has started to rise again, too. The increase is mainly from the Delta variant and decreased use of protective measures, Kasai said.

Kasai warned especially about the possibility of surges because of more gatherings¹⁰ and movements of people during the holiday season. The northern winter season will also likely bring infectious lung diseases, such as the flu, along with COVID-19.

Kasai said the pandemic is far from over. "But my message today is that we can adapt...to better cope with the future surges and reduce their health, social and economic impacts," he said.

Words in This Story

response –n. something that is done as a reaction to something else

mutation⁷ –n. a change in the genes¹¹ of a plant or animal that causes physical characteristics that are different from what is normal

surge –n. a sudden, large increase

zero-tolerance –n. a policy of giving the most severe punishment possible to every person who commits a crime or breaks a rule

adapt –v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

cope –v. to deal with problems and difficult situations and try to come up with solutions

1 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

2 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

6 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

8 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

9 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

10 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

11 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪