VOA慢速英语2021--非洲出现新冠病毒新变种奥密克戎

Nations Concerned About New COVID-19 Version 'Omicron' from Africa

A new variant¹ of COVID-19 found in Africa has international health organizations and national leaders again concerned about virus restrictions².

A group of World Health Organization experts has called the variant "omicron," a letter in the Greek alphabet like "delta³."

Belgium and Israel said travelers who came from Africa recently tested positive for the variant.

It is not clear whether the new version of the virus causes more severe health problems. But nations are trying to prevent its spread.

The health minister in Belgium called the variant "suspicious." Frank Vandenbroucke said: "We don't know if it's a very dangerous variant."

In The Netherlands, an airplane with passengers from Cape⁴ Town, South Africa was held on the runway for four hours for extra testing.

One passenger called the situation "ridiculous."

Jens Spahn is the German Health Minister. He said problems from a new variant are "the last thing we need."

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said Europe needs to be careful until more is known about the variant. She asked travelers from southern Africa to "respect strict quarantine rules." She asked for care to make sure the variant does not spread around the world.

The traveler who tested positive in Belgium spent over one week in the country before getting a test because of mild signs of infection. In Israel, a traveler and two other people were quarantined. All the individuals had been vaccinated⁵.

Health experts say the spread of the variant in Africa shows the problem with unequal availability of vaccines⁷. Fewer than six percent of people in Africa have been fully⁸ vaccinated against COVID-19.

Michael Head is a global health researcher at the University of Southampton in Great Britain. He said the new variant coming in Africa results from wealthier nations buying more vaccine⁶ than they need. He said large countries should do more to send vaccines to smaller countries.

Investors⁹ around the world showed their concern about the new variant. Measures of stock prices dropped on Friday in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

Dr. Michael Ryan is the head of emergencies at the World Health Organization. He warned against "knee-jerk responses" to the variant. A knee-jerk reaction is one that is done without thought or reason.

However, Britain banned travel from southern Africa on Friday.

The United States announced restrictions on visitors from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Canada and the European Union also have placed restrictions on visitors from southern African countries. And Japan announced 10-day quarantines for citizens coming from countries in southern Africa.

Words in This Story

variant – n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind

test positive – adj. to have a test show the presence of a disease, virus or infection

suspicious – adj. causing a feeling that something is wrong or that someone is behaving wrongly : causing suspicion

ridiculous – adj. not serious; unreasonable¹⁰

strict – adj. describing a rule that must be obeyed or followed

quarantine – n. the period of time during which a person or animal that has a disease or that might have a disease is kept away from others to prevent the disease from spreading

mild –adj. not strongly felt

1 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

6 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。

7 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。