200多名科学家发公开信 呼吁世卫组织重视新冠病毒空气传播

世卫组织目前的指南指出，新冠病毒主要通过呼吸道飞沫和密切接触在人与人之间传播。近日全球两百多名科学家发布公开信，表示，新冠病毒也可以在空气中传播，并呼吁世卫组织重视这一传播路径。世卫组织发言人表示，已了解到这篇文章，专家们正在就公开信的内容进行审议。

A group of 239 scientists from 32 different countries have published an open letter to the World Health Organization and other health agencies, calling for them to update their information on the coronavirus.

来自32个国家的239名科学家向世界卫生组织和其他卫生机构发表了一封公开信，呼吁他们更新关于新冠病毒的信息。

In an article entitled “It is Time to Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19,” the group of scientists argue that the WHO needs to give more weight to the role of the airborne spread of Covid-19. The New York Times first reported the news on Saturday.

在一篇题为《是时候解决新冠病毒空气传播问题了》的文章中，这组科学家认为，世卫组织需要更加重视新冠病毒空气传播的作用。《纽约时报》率先在上周六（7月4日）报道了这一消息。

airborne [ˈeəbɔːn] adj.：空气传播的；风媒的

“There is significant potential for inhalation exposure to viruses in microscopic respiratory droplets (microdroplets) at short to medium distances (up to several meters, or room scale), and we are advocating for the use of preventive measures to mitigate this route of airborne transmission,” the scientists wrote in the paper.

科学家们在文章中写道：“人们极有可能在间隔短距离或中距离时（最多几米，或室内范围）吸入微小呼吸道飞沫中的病毒。我们提倡采取预防措施减缓这种空气传播路径。”

It appears to contradict previous evidence that the virus is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the nose or mouth. These are expelled when a person with the infection coughs, sneezes or speaks.

这似乎与之前的证据相矛盾，即病毒通过口鼻喷出的飞沫在人与人之间传播。感染者咳嗽、打喷嚏或说话时，会喷出这些飞沫。

The WHO’s current guidance states that the coronavirus is transmitted primarily between people via these respiratory droplets and contact. The United Nations health agency has said this is why it is important to stay at least one meter away from others and wash your hands regularly, or clean with an alcohol-based hand rub.

世卫组织目前的指南指出，新冠病毒主要通过这些呼吸道飞沫和接触在人与人之间传播。世卫组织表示，这就是为什么人与人之间要保持至少一米的距离、经常洗手，或者用含酒精的洗手液洗手很重要。

However, the group of scientists outlined evidence that indicates smaller particles — which can travel much greater distances — can also infect people.

然而，这组科学家提出的证据表明，传播距离更远的小颗粒飞沫也可以造成感染。

A spokesperson for WHO told CNBC on Monday it was aware of the open letter and technical experts at the organization were currently reviewing its contents.

本周一（7月6日），世卫组织的一位发言人告诉美国消费者新闻与商业频道，他们已经知晓了这封公开信，世卫组织的技术专家目前正在审查其内容。

The WHO has previously said it continually assesses “ongoing research on the ways that Covid-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.”

世卫组织此前曾表示，将继续评估“正在进行的关于新冠病毒传播方式的研究，并将继续分享最新发现”。

The authors of the letter argue the virus is borne through the air and can infect people when inhaled, whether carried aloft by large droplets after a sneeze or much smaller droplets that could glide the length of the room.

这封公开信的作者认为，病毒是通过空气传播的，人们吸入后会造成感染，无论病毒是被打喷嚏后的大飞沫传播到空气中，还是被小得多的、可以在室内到处漂移的飞沫携带。

They claim that their emerging evidence indicates airborne transmission could be more important than the WHO has acknowledged to date.

他们声称，新出现的证据表明，空气传播可能比世卫组织目前所认为的更为重要。

Airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission, the WHO states in a scientific brief on its website. It notes that airborne transmission refers to the presence of extremely small particles that can remain in the air for long periods of time and be transmitted to others over distances greater than one meter.

世卫组织在其网站上的一份科学简报中指出，空气传播不同于飞沫传播。世卫组织指出，空气传播指的是空气中存在能够悬浮很久的极其微小的颗粒，并传播给一米以外的其他人。

To date, nearly 11.5 million people across the globe have contracted Covid-19, with 534,460 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

根据约翰斯·霍普金斯大学统计的数据，迄今为止，全球已有近1150万人感染了新冠肺炎，其中53万4460人死亡。

The US has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 infections and fatalities, by far, with almost 2.9 million cases and 129,947 deaths reported.

截至目前，美国的新冠肺炎确诊病例数和死亡人数都是全球最高的，确诊病例达290万例，死亡人数达12万9947人。