美国国家公共电台 NPR--Government agency examined how often long-COVID was cited as a cause of death

Government agency examined how often long-COVID was cited as a cause of death

Transcript¹

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that cases of long-COVID have caused more the 3,000 deaths in the U.S., but this is undoubtedly² an undercount.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

Long COVID has killed more than 3,000 people in the United States. That's according to the federal government's first tally³ of deaths caused by long-term complications of COVID-19. But as NPR's health correspondent Rob Stein reports, that's probably a significant undercount.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁴: COVID-19 has killed more than 1 million people in the U.S. and left many others suffering from brain fog, fatigue⁵ and other often debilitating⁶ long-term health problems. So Farida Ahmad and her colleagues at the National Center for Health Statistics wanted to see how often long COVID itself was being cited as a cause of death.

FARIDA AHMAD: As long COVID is becoming more of an issue in terms of health and illness, we wanted to see if that's something that was manifesting in death, if long COVID was causing deaths.

STEIN: So the researchers scoured⁷ death certificates for any mention of long COVID. They found more than 3,500 deaths where doctors specifically cited long COVID. Many were among people with heart disease, lung disease and other conditions that may have been worsened by long COVID.

AHMAD: It can affect more than just the brain fog, but it can affect other organs as well.

STEIN: And the number of deaths blamed on long COVID appears to be increasing.

AHMAD: Over time, we're seeing more long COVID deaths increase. And as it's become more recognized and more diagnosed, I think we'll see more of it showing up in medical records and death certificates.

STEIN: Other researchers say the true number of deaths from long COVID is in all likelihood already much higher.

HARLAN KRUMHOLZ: This number represents the tip of the iceberg⁸. The floor for the estimate, it's no doubt higher than this.

STEIN: Dr. Harlan Krumholz studies long COVID at Yale.

KRUMHOLZ: There are a whole bunch of other people that most doctors don't even know how you would put that in the death certificate right now. They don't even know how to document long COVID on the death certificate.

STEIN: And the toll⁹ from long COVID will likely continue to climb as the nation faces yet another surge of infections.

Rob Stein, NPR News.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

3 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

6 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

7 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

8 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

9 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。