这种致命的新型冠状病毒开始在美国蔓延

这种致命的新型冠状病毒开始在美国蔓延

What started as a mystery virus last month in Wuhan, China, has now killed more than 250 people and infected thousands more around the world.

上个月，一种神秘病毒在中国武汉爆发，目前已经造成超过250人死亡，并在世界各地感染了数千人。

In the United States, seven people have been infected -- including patients in Washington state, Chicago, California and Arizona.

在美国，已有7人感染，包括华盛顿州、芝加哥、加利福尼亚州和亚利桑那州的患者。

Most of the patients had recently traveled to Wuhan. But on Thursday, officials announced the first person-to-person transmission of the virus within the US.

大多数患者最近都曾去过武汉。但在周四，官方宣布了该病毒在美国的首次人际传播。

So what are officials doing to avert a massive outbreak in the US? And how can you minimize your risk of getting infected?

那么，官员们正在做什么来避免美国的大规模疫情爆发呢?如何将感染的风险降到最低?

What airports are doing

机场在做什么

At several US airports, passengers are being screened for symptoms such as fever, cough and trouble breathing, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

美国疾病控制与预防中心(简称CDC)表示，在美国的几个机场，乘客正在接受发烧、咳嗽和呼吸困难等症状的检查。

Those airports include John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. But these airport screenings might not catch everyone infected. That's because the incubation period can last a week -- meaning it can take a week after getting infected before showing any symptoms.

这些机场包括纽约肯尼迪国际机场、洛杉矶国际机场、旧金山国际机场、哈茨菲尔德-杰克逊亚特兰大国际机场和芝加哥奥黑尔国际机场。但这些机场检查可能不会发现所有受感染的人。这是因为潜伏期可以持续一个星期，也就是说，在感染病毒后可能需要一个星期才会出现任何症状。

At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, officials put up signs at the international arrivals area instructing travelers from Wuhan to watch for symptoms of the virus.

在西雅图-塔科马国际机场，官员们在国际到达区张贴告示，指示来自武汉的旅客注意病毒症状。

The CDC started displaying the signs in English and Chinese at the SeaTac airport January 14. one day before the first American patient of the Wuhan coronavirus passed through the airport.

美国疾病控制与预防中心1月14日开始在西雅图机场展示中英文标识，一天后，武汉冠状病毒的第一位美国患者通过机场。

What scientists are doing

科学家们在做什么

Across the US, scientists are trying to create a vaccine for the new virus. But don't expect it anytime soon.

在美国各地，科学家们正试图制造一种针对这种新病毒的疫苗。但别指望很快就能实现。

The National Institutes of Health is working on one, but it will take at least a few months before clinical trials start and more than a year until a vaccine might actually become available.

美国国立卫生研究院正在研制一种疫苗，但至少需要几个月的时间才能开始临床试验，一年多的时间才能真正研制出疫苗。

Separately, scientists in Texas, New York and China are also trying to create on a vaccine, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

另外，休斯敦贝勒医学院的疫苗科学家彼得·霍特兹博士说，德克萨斯州、纽约和中国的科学家也在努力研制疫苗。

But the challenge is daunting.

但挑战是艰巨的。

"The lesson we've learned is coronavirus infections are serious and one of the newest and biggest global health threats," Hotez said.

霍特兹说:“我们得到的教训是，冠状病毒感染是严重的，是最新和最大的全球健康威胁之一。”

What you can do yourself

你自己能做什么

Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing, the World Health Organization says.

世界卫生组织说，要避免与任何表现出呼吸道疾病症状的人密切接触，比如咳嗽和打喷嚏。

Other symptoms of this coronavirus include fever and shortness of breath. Severe cases can lead to pneumonia, kidney failure and even death.

这种冠状病毒的其他症状包括发烧和呼吸急促。严重的病例会导致肺炎、肾衰竭甚至死亡。

Scientists believe this coronavirus started in another animal and then spread to humans. So health officials recommend cooking meat and eggs thoroughly.

科学家认为这种冠状病毒开始于另一种动物，然后传播到人类。所以卫生官员建议彻底煮熟肉和蛋。

Anyone with underlying medical conditions should avoid live animal markets and raw meats altogether, since those people are "considered at higher risk of severe disease," the World Health Organization says.

世界卫生组织表示，任何有潜在健康问题的人都应该避免活禽市场和生肉市场，因为这些人“被认为有更高的严重疾病风险”。

What the US is doing

美国在做什么

The novel coronavirus is a public health emergency in the United States, said Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

美国卫生与公众服务部部长亚历克斯·阿扎说，这种新型冠状病毒是美国的一种突发公共卫生事件。

Once the health emergency declaration goes into effect at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, US citizens returning to the United States who have been in China's Hubei province in the two weeks before their return will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine, officials said Friday.

官员们周五表示，一旦美国东部时间周日下午5点《卫生紧急状态宣言》生效，在回国前两周曾在中国湖北省的美国公民将被强制隔离14天。

The development came a day after the State Department announced a highest-level warning urging citizens not to travel to China due to the outbreak.

在这一事态发展的前一天，美国国务院宣布了最高级别的警告，敦促公民由于疫情爆发而不要前往中国。