As the Omicron variant gains momentum in Europe and the United States, scientists are rewriting their expectations for the COVID-19 pandemic next year. Just weeks ago, disease experts were predicting that countries would begin to emerge from the pandemic in 2022 after enduring a series of surges driven by the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants. First among them would be populations with a significant amount of exposure to the coronavirus, through a combination of infections and vaccination.
In those places, COVID was expected to ease into an endemic disease, hopefully with less-severe periodic or seasonal outbreaks. Vaccines, available for much of 2021 only in wealthy nations, could reach the majority of the global population by the end of the year ahead.
But the rapid spread of the highly-mutated Omicron variant, identified in late November, and its apparent ability to reinfect people at a higher rate than its predecessors, is undermining that hope.
Photo: AP 照片:美聯社
Already, countries are reverting to measures used earlier in the pandemic: restricting travel, reimposing mask requirements, advising against large gatherings for the winter holidays. While it is not quite back to square one, much more of the world will need to be vaccinated or exposed to COVID to get past the worst of the pandemic, disease experts said.
More than 270 million people have been infected with COVID, according to the World Health Organization, while an estimated 57 percent of the global population has received at least one vaccine dose, representing potential protection that did not exist two years ago.
“Even if that immunity is not as good against Omicron, it doesn’t mean that it’s worthless. And that immunity is more effective against serious illness than it is against getting infected at all,” said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins.
So far, most of the studies looking at the effectiveness of vaccines against Omicron have focused on neutralizing antibodies, which latch on to the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting cells. Blood test results from fully vaccinated people show Omicron has learned to escape neutralization; a booster dose might restore that protection.
Immune system T cells, which destroy infected cells, also appear still to be able to recognize the variant. Many experts believe this second line of defense will prevent hospitalizations and deaths.
(Reuters)
變種病毒Omicron正在歐洲與美國快速傳播,科學家對明年COVID-19疫情的預期也隨之改寫。就在數週前,疾病專家預測,歷經Alpha、Beta、Gamma和Delta變種病毒所帶來的一連串病例激增後,各國將在二○二二年開始擺脫疫情。率先突圍的會是因感染及疫苗接種而大量接觸冠狀病毒的人群。
COVID在這些地方預計將減輕為一種地方流行病,週期性或季節性地流行,疫情可望不那麼嚴重。二○二一年大部分時間只有富裕國家才有的疫苗,到了明年年底,其覆蓋率或將遍及全球大多數人口。
但十一月下旬所發現高度突變的Omicron變種,它的迅速傳播,以及它明顯比前代病毒更容易讓人再度感染,正讓這個希望破滅。
各國再度實施了疫情初期所採取的措施:限制旅行、規定配戴口罩、建議寒假期間不要參加大型聚會。疾病專家表示,這雖然不是完全回到起點,但世界上有更多地方需要接種疫苗或接觸COVID,方能度過疫情最嚴峻的時期。
根據世界衛生組織的數據,超過二點七億人感染過COVID,而估計全球有百分之五十七的人口接種了至少一劑疫苗,這潛在的保護力是兩年前所沒有的。
「即便這種免疫力對Omicron不那麼有效,這並不表示它毫無價值。而且這種免疫力對於防重症比防感染更為有效」,約翰霍普金斯大學傳染流行病學家大衛‧道迪醫師表示。
到目前為止,大多數針對Omicron疫苗有效性的研究都集中在中和抗體上,這些抗體會附著在病毒上並防止其進入和感染細胞。完全接種疫苗民眾之驗血結果顯示,Omicron已學會逃避中和;注射追加劑可能會讓此保護力恢復。
摧毀受感染細胞的免疫系統T細胞似乎仍能識別Omicron變種。許多專家認為,這第二道防線可避免住院及死亡。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
A: Also, police seized seven pornographic videos featuring minors that entertainer Mickey Huang purchased in his hard disc. B: That’s just outrageous! A: His ex-girlfriend entertainer Little S and some others are calling for a legal amendment to increase the penalty. B: The buyers and sellers should both be punished heavily. A: But the porn sellers’ Web sites are mostly overseas, so they are hard to catch. A: 此外警方也在黃子佼的硬碟裡,查到7部他買的未成年色情片。 B: 真是令人火大! A: 他的前女友小S等人,還呼籲修法,加重相關的罰則。 B: 購買者和販賣者雙方都該重罰。 A: 不過色情網站大多設在海外要抓也不容易吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: Entertainer Mickey Huang’s #MeToo scandal has kept snowballing. B: Didn’t Huang just escape prosecution on several sexual misconduct charges due to a lack of evidence? A: He has now been accused of raping a woman identified as "Miss K." B: It’s like one trouble follows another! A: His decent “persona” in the showbiz has totally collapsed. A: 藝人黃子佼的#MeToo事件真是沒完沒了。 B: 他的性騷擾案不是因為證據不足獲得不起訴? A: 但他又被某位「K小姐」指控性侵。 B: 天啊,真是一波未平,一波又起! A: 他在娛樂圈的優質「人設」都崩壞啦。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Jumping rope has long been considered an excellent form of exercise. It not only burns calories but also improves cardiovascular health and __1__ core muscles. Anyone who has used a traditional jump rope, though, knows that it requires a certain level of skill and coordination. However, with the development of the cordless jump rope, this is __2__ the case. The cordless jump rope is an innovation in the fitness industry that has gained popularity in recent years. As its name suggests, it doesn’t have a cord connecting the two handles. Instead, each handle features a short cord with a
Let’s explore another delicacy primarily known to Tainan locals: floating milkfish in thick soup. Despite its peculiar name, this dish is another Tainan specialty that showcases the popularity of milkfish, which is made into fish paste and served in thick soup. Unlike the version with tutuo fish, which also adds other ingredients to its thick soup, the floating milkfish version primarily features the “floating fish” itself in its thick soup, ensuring that the fish paste remains the star of the dish. 讓我們來探索另一道台南人熟悉的美食:浮水魚羹。這道菜名奇特的美食,再再展現了台南虱目魚料理的多樣。浮水魚羹是用虱目魚漿做成的羹品,雖然和𩵚魠魚羹一樣是羹湯,但不像𩵚魠魚羹會在湯中加入其他食材,而是讓虱目魚漿成為這道料理的主角。 peculiar (adj.) 獨特的;古怪的 The belly of a milkfish is considered the most