新奇事件簿 美国鼓励佩戴口罩（在线收听）

The USA could soon be encouraging Americans to wear face masks or scarves. There has been a lot of talk about whether or not face masks are effective in helping slow down the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The government is set to encourage Americans to use homemade face coverings like cloth masks, bandanas and scarves. The WHO and other health organisations have recommended that people who are not sick do not need to wear masks or cover their face. However, other organisations say face masks can slow the spread of the virus. They point to countries like Singapore and South Korea, where people wear masks and reported infection rates are lower.

美国可能很快就会鼓励美国人戴口罩或围巾。关于口罩是否有助于减缓新型冠状病毒传播，已经有了很多讨论。政府开始鼓励美国人佩戴自制口罩，如布口罩、头巾和围巾。WHO和其他健康组织建议没有生病的人不需要戴口罩或遮住面部。但其他组织则表示戴口罩可以减缓病毒的传播他们指出，在像新加坡和韩国这样的国家，人们佩戴口罩，而且上报的感染率也更低。

Health experts in the USA believe that wearing a mask could reduce the risk of people spreading the virus and give a little protection to those who have not contracted it. Health officials are worried that if everyone rushes out to buy masks, there may not be enough for nurses, doctors and other key workers. They also say that a mask could make the problem worse because people might feel safe wearing one and mix more with other people. Another thing health experts are worried about is that homemade masks are insufficient to prevent people from catching the virus. The White House said: "The most important thing is the social distancing, washing your hands and not touching your face."

美国健康专家认为戴口罩可以降低人们传播病毒的风险也给了那些没有感染病毒的人一些保护。健康不官员担心，如果每个人都跑去买口罩，那么护士、医生和其他关键工作人员就没有足够口罩可使用。他们还表示，口罩可能会使问题变得更糟糕，因为戴口罩会让人们感到安全，并会让他们更多地聚集。健康专家担心的另一件事是，自制口罩不足以保护大家不感染病毒。白宫表示：“最重要的是要保持社交距离、洗手以及不要用手摸脸。”