VOA标准英语2014--利比里亚需要更多援助来对付埃博拉

 

Liberia Ebola Fight Needs More Aid 利比里亚需要更多援助来对付埃博拉

An NGO on the frontlines of the West Africa Ebola outbreak says the scale-up of the international response comes none too soon. SIM USA says more beds, medical supplies and personnel are needed to stem the spread of the epidemic¹.

SIM -- a Christian-based organization -- has had three of its personnel infected with Ebola.  Dr. Kent Brantly and missionary² Nancy Writebol have fully³ recovered, while Dr. Rick Sacra is expected to make a full recovery.

George Salloum, SIM’s crisis response team leader for Liberia, said, “We are in the thick of the battle trying to fight this disease. And we are continuing to see numerous new cases come up. And it does not seem to be slowing down right.”

Salloum is also SIM’s vice⁴ president of finance and operations. He said the Ebola outbreak in Liberia affects people whether they have the virus or not.

“People try to live a normal life as much as possible. But with the spread and the amount of families and individuals being affected⁵ by Ebola it’s touching⁶ the lives of many, many families throughout the country. There’s not a corner of the country that’s not being affected right now or families that are not being affected or friends who are not being affected. Everyday life is challenging. Transportation is hard. The cost of food is going up. Moving around the country is a little more difficult. Day to day activity is a little more strained. So it’s not an easy environment to survive in right now,” he said.

About 300 health workers in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have been infected with Ebola. But in Liberia, Salloum does not think it’s happening in isolation⁷ centers where infected patients are treated.

“If you think of the specific isolation unit where health care workers have the full personal protection equipment that they’re wearing – when they’re serving or dealing⁸ or ministering to the people who are infected with Ebola – there’s no evidence there’s been any transfer or transmittal of Ebola to health care workers in that context. That seems to be working well. The CDC guidelines seem to be effective,” he said.

CDC stands for the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The SIM USA official described more likely ways of Ebola infection.

“Where most of the transfer occurs is out in daily life where you may be eating with somebody. You might have some specific contact with people. Or if you’re the people native to Liberia, culturally they’re [in] very close community with each other. So just doing life together makes it possible to pass on. From a health care worker, it’s possible to work alongside infected health care workers and maybe when you’re washing up or cleaning up it’s possible that some fluids might transfer or sharing a meal with each other,” he said.

In regular hospital settings, health care workers could be infected, for example, while caring for those with malaria⁹ unaware¹⁰ that the patient may be carrying Ebola.

Salloum said that to contain the epidemic much more protection equipment, medical supplies and personnel are needed. 

“But also setting up a special medical isolation unit where ex-pats can be treated is a major benefit to our people to allow more of our people to go back in and not have to worry about trying to be evacuated¹¹. They’re not afraid to go into the zone – the combat zone so to speak – and catch Ebola, as long as they know there’s a chance of being cared for.”

The U.S. military is expected to build the new isolation center in Liberia. Salloum said evacuating¹² infected health care workers is very expensive and not always covered by insurance.

Chances of survival, he said, are greatly enhanced when Ebola patients have proper hydration and electrolyte blood levels of such things as magnesium¹³, potassium and selenium.

While research continues on experimental Ebola drugs and vaccines¹⁴, interest is growing in using the blood serum¹⁵ of survivors¹⁶ as a treatment. It was done in the case of Dr. Brantly, who received blood with Ebola anti-bodies from a young Liberian. Brantly, in turn, donated his blood serum to Dr. Sacra.

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

3 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。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

7 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

10 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

11 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

12 evacuating   

撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空

参考例句：

• The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
• Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗？

13 magnesium   

n.镁

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The water contains high amounts of magnesium.这水含有大量的镁。

14 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。

15 serum   

n.浆液，血清，乳浆

参考例句：

• The serum is available to the general public.一般公众均可获得血清。
• Untreated serum contains a set of 11 proteins called complement.未经处理的血清含有一组蛋白质，共11种，称为补体。

16 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者