科学美国人60秒 如何在家中治疗新冠病毒（在线收听）

How to Care for COVID at Home, and Is That Sniffle Allergies or the Virus?

如何在家中治疗新冠病毒

Tanya Lewis: Hi, and welcome to COVID, Quickly, a Scientific American podcast series.

Josh Fischman: This is your fast-track update on the COVID pandemic. We bring you up to speed on the science behind the most urgent questions about the virus and the disease. We demystify the research and help you understand what it really means.

谭雅·刘易斯：大家好，欢迎收看美国科学播客系列节目《快速传播新冠病毒》。

乔希·菲奇曼：这是你们关于新冠疫情的快速更新。我们将向您介绍有关病毒和疾病的最紧迫问题背后的科学。我们揭开研究的神秘面纱，帮助你理解它的真正含义。

Lewis: I’m Tanya Lewis.

Fischman: I’m Josh Fischman.

刘易斯：我是坦娅·刘易斯。

我是乔希·费斯曼。

Lewis: And we’re Scientific American’s senior health editors.  Today: how to care for yourself when you’re sick at home with COVID…

Fischman: And how do you know when it’s just spring allergies making you sneeze, and not the virus?

刘易斯：我们是《科学美国人》的高级健康编辑。今天：当你在家感染新冠病毒时，如何照顾自己

菲奇曼：那你怎么知道什么时候是春季过敏让你打喷嚏，而不是病毒？

Lewis: These days I keep hearing about people getting COVID and riding it out at home. If you have a relatively mild case, what should you do to take care of yourself?

刘易斯：这些天我一直听说有人感染新冠病毒并在家里传播。如果你的病情相对较轻，你应该做些什么来照顾自己？

Fischman: More and more people are in exactly that situation. The daily average of new cases has been going up, from about 50,000 at the end of April to just over 80,000 today. But a lot fewer people are ending up in the hospital. Just under 20,000 at the end of last week.

越来越多的人正处于这种情况。新增病例的日平均数一直在上升，从4月底的约5万例上升到今天的8万多例。但最终住院的人要少得多。上周末的时候还不到两万。

Lewis: That means more people with COVID are taking care of themselves at home, doesn’t it?

Fischman: Yep. So what’s the best way to do that? What helps with symptoms? How do you handle isolation? I asked Scientific American contributing editor Lydia Denworth to look into that. She spoke with several doctors who treat COVID and came up with some good tips.

刘易斯：这意味着越来越多的新冠肺炎患者在家照顾自己，不是吗？

是的。那么最好的方法是什么呢？什么有助于缓解症状？你如何处理隔离？我请《科学美国人》特约编辑莉迪亚·登沃斯对此进行调查。她与几位治疗新冠肺炎的医生进行了交谈，并提出了一些好的建议。

Lewis: Even though we call these mild cases, people say it’s often like two weeks of the worst flu you can imagine, with fevers and racking coughs.

刘易斯：尽管我们把这些病例称为轻度病例，但人们说这通常是你能想象到的最严重的两周流感，伴有发烧和剧烈咳嗽。

Fischman: True. So first of all, note your symptoms. Timothy Brewer, an epidemiologist at UCLA, told Lydia there’s a wide range but a lot of them hit your upper respiratory system. That’s where Omicron and its sub-variants like to replicate. So there’s less chest and lung inflammation and more sore throats and congestion. Achiness, coughing, shortness of breath and fever are also common.

是的。所以首先，注意你的症状。加州大学洛杉矶分校的流行病学家蒂莫西·布鲁尔（TimothyBrewer）告诉莉迪亚，这类疾病的范围很广，但很多都会影响你的上呼吸道系统。这就是Omicron及其子变种喜欢复制的地方。因此，胸部和肺部炎症减少，喉咙疼痛和充血增多。疼痛、咳嗽、呼吸急促和发烧也很常见。

Lewis: I’d probably want to test myself if I started feeling bad. Should I use a rapid antigen test?

Fischman: Definitely. These symptoms can look like bad allergies or the flu, so experts say use an antigen test after symptoms start. If the first test is negative, do another two days later. If the virus is building up inside you, the second test will probably pick it up.

刘易斯：如果我开始感觉不好，我可能会想测试一下自己。我应该使用快速抗原检测吗？

当然。这些症状可能看起来像严重的过敏或流感，所以专家说在症状开始后使用抗原测试。如果第一次检测呈阴性，两天后再做一次。如果病毒在你体内积聚，第二次测试可能会发现它。

Lewis: OK, so I’m positive and feel positively awful. Time to call my doctor?

Fischman: Not everyone has a primary care doc but call yours if you do. They can advise you on medications. They’ll also notify public health agencies so you’re included in case counts.

Lewis: After that, is there anything in my medicine cabinet that can help me?

刘易斯：好吧，所以我很乐观，感觉很糟糕。该给我的医生打电话了？

菲奇曼：不是每个人都有初级保健医生，但如果你有，就给你的医生打电话。他们可以建议你服用药物。他们还会通知公共卫生机构，这样你就被纳入病例统计。

刘易斯：在那之后，我的药柜里有什么可以帮我的吗？

Fischman: Probably, or over-the-counter at your local drug store. Common drugs don’t fight the virus but they do manage symptoms. Acetaminophen brings down fevers and relieves achiness. So do nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen. Antihistamines or cold medications such as DayQuil relieve congestion and cough.

菲奇曼：可能吧，或者在当地药店的柜台上。普通药物不能对抗病毒，但可以控制症状。对乙酰氨基酚可以退烧，缓解疼痛。非甾体抗炎药（NSAIDs）也是如此，比如布洛芬。抗组胺药或感冒药，如DayQuil，可以缓解充血和咳嗽。

Lewis: People should be careful with NSAIDs, though. They have more side effects than acetaminophen, and they’re not safe for everyone. I know the label instructions are in tiny print, but it’s a good idea to read them. You should probably check with your doctor if you’re taking other drugs, too.

刘易斯：不过，人们应该小心使用非甾体抗炎药。它们比扑热息痛有更多的副作用，而且对每个人都不安全。我知道标签上的说明印刷得很小，但最好阅读一下。如果你也在服用其他药物，你可能应该咨询你的医生。

Fischman: Sometimes I take a picture of the label with my cell phone and blow it up. That helps.

Another thing that helps a lot: good old TLC. Rest, and drink fluids, which prevent dehydration and reduce cough. Hot tea with honey alleviates sore throat and cough, too.

Lewis: What about prescription drugs like the new antiviral pill, Paxlovid?

菲奇曼：有时我用手机拍下标签的照片，然后把它放大。这很有帮助。

另一件很有帮助的事情是：好的旧TLC。休息，喝水，这样可以防止脱水，减少咳嗽。加蜂蜜的热茶也能缓解喉咙痛和咳嗽。

刘易斯：像新型抗病毒药丸Paxlovid这样的处方药呢？

Fischman: That helps if you start taking it early. But its not for everyone. You can’t use it with many common medications such as statins or blood thinners. Some monoclonal antibodies also reduce the risk of severe disease, but they require an injection or infusion. And not every patient is eligible. Both treatments have been authorized for people who are at higher risk of severe illness because of age (65 and older) or underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure or lung disease. There’s no evidence yet that these treatments benefit people who are young or otherwise healthy.

菲奇曼：如果你早点开始服用，那会有帮助。但这并不适合所有人。你不能和许多常用药物一起使用，比如他汀类药物或血液稀释剂。一些单克隆抗体也可以降低患严重疾病的风险，但它们需要注射或输注。并不是每个病人都符合条件。由于年龄（65岁及以上）或潜在健康状况（如高血压或肺病），这两种治疗方法都被授权用于患有严重疾病的高危人群。目前还没有证据表明这些治疗对年轻人或其他健康人有益。

Lewis: What happens if you live by yourself? Lots of people do, some of them young and some older. Being alone with COVID can be scary.

刘易斯：如果你一个人住会怎么样？很多人都是这样，他们中的一些年轻人和一些老年人。与新冠病毒单独相处可能会很可怕。

Fischman: I know, and if you don’t have a partner to make drug store runs and food runs, it’s really tough.  Brewer says it’s smart to arrange to have someone call you once a day to check up. The check-ins can reduce anxiety and loneliness, because you’re isolating for at least five days. Friends and family shouldn’t get physically close, but they can drop off meals, or Tylenol and other OTC medications. And some books, magazines, or TV show recs to fill the hours.

费奇曼：我知道，如果你没有合作伙伴经营药店和食品店，那真的很难。布鲁尔说，安排某人每天给你打一次电话进行检查是明智的。入住可以减少焦虑和孤独，因为你至少要隔离五天。朋友和家人不应该靠得太近，但他们可以不吃饭，或服用泰诺和其他非处方药。还有一些书、杂志或电视节目的录音来打发时间。

Lewis: So you do this for 5 days after symptoms start and a positive test. Then if you feel better you can go out but should wear a high quality mask like an N95, and do that for another 5 days. That’s 10 days total. Are there warning signs in that period that could lead you to call for medical help?

刘易斯：所以在症状开始并检测呈阳性后，你要这样做5天。如果你感觉好一点，你可以出去，但应该戴上N95这样的高质量口罩，然后再戴5天。总共10天。在这段时间里，是否有可能导致你寻求医疗救助的警告信号？

Fischman: Excellent question. Doctors told Lydia the big thing to watch for is serious trouble breathing. Chest pain, blue lips, if you can’t swallow liquids, or get winded after taking a few steps in your bedroom–all reasons to get over to urgent care or call 911. Most people won’t run into this kind of trouble, but do not be shy about reaching out for help  if you do.

问得好。医生告诉莉迪亚，最需要注意的是严重的呼吸困难。胸痛，嘴唇发青，如果你不能吞咽液体，或者在卧室里走了几步后感到喘不过气来——所有这些都是去急诊室或拨打911的原因。大多数人不会遇到这种麻烦，但如果你遇到了，也不要羞于寻求帮助。