磐石艦事件差一點成為台灣防疫的大破口,國內媒體屢屢將其與同樣「軍艦染疫」的美國羅斯福號、法國戴高樂號等艦艇比較,並使用「侵襲率」一詞來形容艦上染疫的程度。請見下列新聞標題:
〈磐石艦侵襲率9% 遠低於美、法艦〉
Photo/graphic: Liberty Times May 5, 2020/照片:自由時報2020年5月5日
Photo/GRAPHIC courtesy of Bookman l 圖片:書林
什麼是「侵襲率」?其實就是「罹患率」(attack rate)!
Wikipedia 英文版 attack rate 的解釋十分簡明,節錄如下:
Attack rate
Photo/GRAPHIC courtesy of Bookman l 圖片:書林
In epidemiology, the attack rate is the percentage of the population that contracts the disease in an at-risk population during a specified time interval.
罹患率在流行病學中是指該流行病爆發的一段時間內,曝險人群感染疾病累積的發病率。算法是由一段時間內,某個暴露在患病風險的群體內的新病例,除以整個群體的人數。
以磐石艦為例,艦上有377人,在出任務至回台確診這段期間,總共35人發病,因此得出罹患率(attack rate) 9%的數字,而法國戴高樂號,在COVID-19爆發時,採檢約2000人,有1040人感染,所以罹患率約為52%。
Photo/GRAPHIC courtesy of Bookman l 圖片:書林
罹患率會隨著調查不同時間內的不同群體而有所差異,據此可以讓公衛專家評估是哪些因子影響罹患率高低,比如戴或不戴口罩、室內空氣流通與否、是否共用餐具、浴廁,有無密切接觸和群聚等,進而在尚未罹患、發病的群體中進行預防。磐石艦與戴高樂號、羅斯福號同樣屬於人員密切接觸的軍艦,罹患率比鑽石公主號等空間寬敞的船隻還低,實屬不幸中的大幸。
文章由書林出版公司提供:
www.bookman.com.tw
蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《英語的對與錯》,《世紀病毒:必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等
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