VOA慢速英语--美国公司担心办公室有空气传播病毒的风险

Some companies in the United States want to know how they can make their workplaces safer. Industry healthcare experts say companies are worried because of information from the world's top public health agency.

About two weeks ago, the World Health Organization called for more scientific study of the airborne transmission¹ of the new coronavirus. It is the cause of the disease COVID-19. Experts say if the virus can stay in the air for long periods of time it raises safety questions for people in offices, stores, and other workplaces. The possibility that the virus can spread through the air in this way has not been included in U.S. government rules for returning to work.

Many companies have created rules based on information from the WHO that says drops of fluid with the virus could infect people after they landed on surfaces. Now, there are questions about whether the virus can survive in very small drops that stay in the air for hours.

Companies are wondering whether their policies on face covering and improving air flow are good enough. Some stores have put in glass barriers between employees and customers. Now experts say they must decide what to do if the virus can stay in the air around their employees.

Neal Mills is the chief medical officer at healthcare services group Aon. He began receiving questions recently about the WHO's decision to investigate airborne transmission. He said employers were slowing the return of workers back to their offices.

"They are doing due diligence around how are you going to reduce the transmission of the virus," if it is airborne, Mills said.

The slowdown comes as some employers have already begun delaying plans to bring back office workers because of the rising number of coronavirus cases. Energy industry companies Halliburton in Texas and California-based Chevron² are among them.

Employers are asking if public health guidelines³ asking that individuals remain about two meters apart and wear masks are enough.

They also wonder about air cooling systems that do not have filtration devices and the effectiveness of the glass barriers against an airborne virus, said David Zieg. Zieg is an expert at Mercer, a healthcare services company.

Experts are telling employers to go beyond their existing plans. Plans may include measuring people's body temperature, asking health questions and cleaning restrooms more often.

"The concept here is risk reduction. It's not 100 percent. You add in all the little things you can to reduce the risk," Zieg said.

Months after U.S. companies sent workers home, many are trying to understand the best way to bring them back. Many employers are worried about their legal responsibility and the cost of employee healthcare plans.

Some companies understood the possibility of airborne transmission early.

Automakers General Motors, Ford⁴, and Fiat⁵ Chrysler improved ventilation in their factories before restarting production on May 18. The companies said they were worried about airborne transmission.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

airborne–adj. moving in or carried through the air

transmission–n. the process of sending something from one place to another or between people

due diligence–n.(legal) the care that a reasonable person takes to avoid harm to others or their property

filtration–n. the process of removing pollutants⁶ from the air or water

ventilation–n. a system that lets fresh air flow through a building

1 transmission   

n.播送，发射，传送，传递，传染

参考例句：

• When the transmission is good,foreign stations can be heard.在传送情况良好时，以收到外国电台。
• The letter was delayed in transmission.这封信在传递中被耽误了。

2 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

3 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

6 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法