VOA标准英语 Australian Researchers: Surgical Face Masks Importan

In what Australian researchers say is a world-first clinical trial, surgical¹ masks have been found to be a cheap and effective front-line weapon against epidemics² such as swine and avian flu. A team at the University of New South Wales says masks have an important role to play especially when vaccines⁴ are unavailable.

Study provides scientific evidence
　
Commuters wear face masks on bus in Mexico City, 27 Apr 2009

Australian researchers say their trial provides the first scientific evidence that surgical masks greatly reduce the risk of contracting contagious⁵ respiratory illnesses, including swine flu or even the common cold.

The study commissioned by the Australian Department of Health and Aging analyzed⁶ the effect that close contact with sick children had on about 300 adults.

The research team was led by Raina MacIntyre, a professor of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at the University of New South Wales.

She says the results show that surgical face masks have an important part to play in protecting public health.

"They do show that there is clinical effectiveness of masks and that if a pandemic were to take off that masks are a potentially effective way of preventing transmission and, you know, right now we do not have a matched vaccine³. It will take a minimum of eight weeks - possibly up to 12 weeks - before we have a matched vaccine," MacIntyre said. "And (in) that period we need to look at all available, other measures to prevent the transmission of influenza⁷."

How does virus spread?

Experts say that the new H1N1 swine flu virus is spread the same way as the other forms of the disease - through sneezes and coughs and by touching⁸ contaminated surfaces.

The Australian study pointed⁹ out that while there has been strong public acceptance of surgical masks across Asia, less than half the Australians who participated in the trial kept their masks on despite being exposed to sick children.

Other research has shown that few hospital doctors and nurses in Australia wear such protection at work.

A larger study into the effectiveness of face masks has been carried out in China and results will be published shortly.

In Mexico, where the swine flu first appeared, it is believed to have caused the deaths of more than 100 people. Cases have since been found in the United States, Canada and Europe. No cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Australia, but there are about 20 suspected cases spread throughout the eastern states of New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.

1 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

2 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

3 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

4 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。

5 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

6 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。