2021年经济学人 疫散终有时,余波尚无期(2)

As yet, long covid has no cure. What scientists know so far about the disease points to it being a combination of a persistent¹ viral infection (for which a drug may be found at some point), a chronic² autoimmune disorder³ (which would need expensive, complex care like that for rheumatoid arthritis⁴ or multiple sclerosis) and lingering damage to some tissues caused by the original covid-19 infection. Medicines for the first two of these causes may ultimately be found. America alone has put $1.15bn into research. At the moment, though, sufferers need months of rehabilitation⁵ to help them cope.

到目前为止，新冠病毒的长期并发症至今还没有治愈方法。科学家们目前对这种疾病的了解表明，它结合了持续性病毒感染（可能会在某个阶段发现治疗药物）、慢性自身免疫性疾病（治疗中需要进行昂贵且复杂的护理，如风湿性关节炎或多发性硬化症的护理治疗），以及初次新冠感染时造成的某些组织的长期损伤。最终可能会找到治疗前两种病因的药物。仅美国就投入了11.5亿美元用于研究。不过，患者眼下需要数月的康复治疗来帮助应对症状。

Health-care systems and employers must prepare to assist long-covid sufferers,including those who have no proof of past infection because they were not able to be tested. Prompt rehabilitative⁶ care can prevent a downward spiral in personal health and finances. Dedicated⁷ long-covid clinics will speed things up. As things now stand, patients often bounce from one specialist to another in search of a diagnosis⁸.

医疗保健系统和雇主必须做好长期支援新冠病毒长期并发症患者的准备，也包括那些因未能接受检测而无法证明自己曾经感染新冠的患者。及时的康复护理可以防止个人健康和财务状况的恶化。新冠病毒长期并发症的专科诊所也将加快步伐。就目前的情况来看，患者频繁辗转于不同的专家之间寻求诊断。

Employers, for their part, must rethink how to accommodate workers with a disability that flares⁹ up in unpredictable bouts¹⁰. Governments can help, with incentives¹¹ that encourage sufferers to stay in work and employers to cater¹² to their condition. If governments miss the boat, millions of young and mid-career workers could permanently¹³ drop out of the labour force. One approach could draw on a scheme for disability benefits that is used in the Netherlands. Dutch employer sand employees who are too unwell to work as normal are required to come up jointly¹⁴ with a plan on how the sick employee can return to work under new conditions. Remote working and flexible schedules would make it easier for long-covid sufferers to work at least part-time. Many of them will improve, though even that can take months.

站在雇主的角度上，他们则必须重新考虑如何照顾那些会突然发病的有障碍员工。政府可以提供帮助，通过激励措施来鼓励患者继续工作，并鼓励雇主照顾身体不便的员工。如果政府坐失良机，数百万刚步入职场以及处于职业中期的员工可能会永久退出劳动力市场。其中一种办法就是可以借鉴荷兰采用的残疾津贴计划。荷兰雇主和身体不便、无法正常工作的雇员需要共同制定一项方案，计划患病员工如何在新的条件下重返工作岗位。远程办公和灵活的时间安排将使新冠长期并发症患者更方便，至少是从事兼职工作。许多患者的身体症状会有所改善，尽管这可能需要几个月的时间。

Lots of mistakes were made in the pandemic’s acute phase. But that came out of the blue. There is no excuse for failing to respond to long covid. And there is no time to waste.

我们在疫情危急时期犯了许多错误。但突如其来的疫情让我们防不胜防。我们没有理由无法处理新冠长期并发症危机。现在刻不容缓。

1 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

2 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

3 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

4 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

5 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

6 rehabilitative   

使复原的，复职的

参考例句：

• Objective To desacribe self concept and sub concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨恢复期精神分裂症病人的自我概念。
• Objective To desacribe self concept and concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨大学生自我概念与心理健康之间的关系。

7 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

8 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

9 flares   

n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开

参考例句：

• The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 bouts   

n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作

参考例句：

• For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

13 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

14 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。