2015年CRI 世卫组织评估韩国应对MERS工作

 

The latest victim to die of MERS related complications in South Korea was a 68-year-old woman who was hospitalized with a pre-existing heart condition. She was infected at the same hospital, which had recorded the largest outbreak so far.

Eight new MERS cases have also been identified on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number of infections to 95. But Tuesday's rise marked a slowdown from the 23 new cases announced a day earlier.

All confirmed infections in South Korea have occurred in hospitals.

Medical authorities have been criticized for not doing enough to prevent the spread of the virus, internally.

A team of experts from the World Health Organization are evaluating how South Korea's public health system has handled the crisis so far.

Kwon Deok-cheol, South Korean Health Ministry¹ official, however, says the risk of a rapidly spreading pandemic is low.

"A joint² response team made of experts from South Korea and the World Health Organization was launched today. The team assessed that the 'South Korean government has handled the situation well and its effort to share information in a transparent³ manner is key.' This joint effort is scheduled to take place until June 13."

The health ministry says the virus appears to be contained and that the epidemic⁴ has already passed its peak period.

Lee Dong-hun, an Infectious Diseases doctor at the Asan Medical center says congestion⁵ at popular hospitals led to the rapid spread of the virus among patients earlier.

"Due to the characteristics of the South Korean medical system, which allows people to be treated in large hospitals at affordable⁶ costs, a large number of patients tend to be congregated⁷ in emergency rooms of large hospitals, where people prefer to go to. I think the number of people, who came into close contact with MERS patients was increased during this process."

About 3000 people who may have had contact with MERS patients have been put under quarantine, some in hospitals but most at home.

Authorities say they are using mobile phones to track people who violate quarantine.

Over 2000 schools and 19 universities remain closed since Monday.

Meanwhile, Japan has set up a task forces in South Korea to help prevent the spread of MERS into Japan. But Tokyo is yet to issue any travel warning for its citizens.

South Korea has the biggest outbreak of MERS outside Saudi Arabia, where it was first identified three years ago.

The first MERS case in South Korea was a man who became infected during a business trip to Saudi Arabia. But he was diagnosed nine days after he first sought medical help.

The South Korean government has been criticized for its initial slow response to the epidemic.

There's no vaccine⁸ or cure for the virus, which has a high 40 percent mortality rate.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

4 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

5 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

6 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

7 congregated   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The crowds congregated in the town square to hear the mayor speak. 人群聚集到市镇广场上来听市长讲话。
• People quickly congregated round the speaker. 人们迅速围拢在演说者的周围。

8 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。