Delta变种病毒肆虐美国这些地区
7月8日，纽约市用一场大游行，向在新冠疫情期间坚守岗位的必要工作者们致敬。与此同时，耶鲁大学公共卫生学院（Yale School of Public Health）和英联邦基金会（Commonwealth Foundation）公布了最近一项令人振奋的研究结果：美国快速接种疫苗已经拯救了27.9万人的生命，使125万感染者避免住院治疗。
虽然每天公布的新增确诊病例数量相对较低，但却再次出现了上升趋势。参与该项研究的专家警告（安东尼·福奇最近也发出警告），传播速度更快、传染性更强的德尔塔变种病毒可能让庆祝抗疫胜利的活动成为泡影，逆转美国在抗疫方面所取得的进展。目前，美国大部分确诊者感染的都是德尔塔变种病毒。
根据美国疾病预防与控制中心（Centers for Disease Control and Prevention）公布的数据，基因监控数据显示，到7月3日，预计51.7%的新增新冠确诊病例感染德尔塔病毒株，而之前两周德尔塔变种病毒确诊者的比例只有30.4%。
尤其在美国中西部和北部平原地区，德尔塔变种病毒成为主要病毒，疾控中心预计目前这些地区感染德尔塔变种病毒的患者在新增确诊病例中的比例高达74%。在这些地区，许多州的疫苗接种率落后于国家平均水平。在密西西比州以西的南方各州以及纽约州和新泽西州，德尔塔变种病毒导致的新增病例占比为55%至60%。疾控中心的数据显示，在其他地区，德尔塔变种病毒导致的新增病例占比约为30%至40%。
虽然美国已接种疫苗的人群感染德尔塔变种病毒后重症风险极低，但尚未接种疫苗的大量人口却很容易受到这种病毒的影响。目前美国已经有1.829亿人已经至少接种一剂疫苗，占总人口的55.1%。据说感染德尔塔变种病毒的症状与早期感染新冠病毒后出现的症状略有不同；有专家表示，感染德尔塔变种病毒的患者丧失嗅觉和味觉的可能性下降，更有可能出现类似于普通感冒的症状。
当然，德尔塔变种病毒不止在美国成为主要病毒，它正在欧洲、非洲和亚洲等地区飞速传播，而且有些国家无法获得足够满足国民需求的疫苗供应。许多国家面对快速传播的变种病毒疲于应付，有越来越多人因为变种病毒正在经历封锁或紧急状态。而南美国家则要面对Lambda变种病毒。（财富中文网）
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
7月8日，纽约市用一场大游行，向在新冠疫情期间坚守岗位的必要工作者们致敬。与此同时，耶鲁大学公共卫生学院（Yale School of Public Health）和英联邦基金会（Commonwealth Foundation）公布了最近一项令人振奋的研究结果：美国快速接种疫苗已经拯救了27.9万人的生命，使125万感染者避免住院治疗。
虽然每天公布的新增确诊病例数量相对较低，但却再次出现了上升趋势。参与该项研究的专家警告（安东尼·福奇最近也发出警告），传播速度更快、传染性更强的德尔塔变种病毒可能让庆祝抗疫胜利的活动成为泡影，逆转美国在抗疫方面所取得的进展。目前，美国大部分确诊者感染的都是德尔塔变种病毒。
根据美国疾病预防与控制中心（Centers for Disease Control and Prevention）公布的数据，基因监控数据显示，到7月3日，预计51.7%的新增新冠确诊病例感染德尔塔病毒株，而之前两周德尔塔变种病毒确诊者的比例只有30.4%。
尤其在美国中西部和北部平原地区，德尔塔变种病毒成为主要病毒，疾控中心预计目前这些地区感染德尔塔变种病毒的患者在新增确诊病例中的比例高达74%。在这些地区，许多州的疫苗接种率落后于国家平均水平。在密西西比州以西的南方各州以及纽约州和新泽西州，德尔塔变种病毒导致的新增病例占比为55%至60%。疾控中心的数据显示，在其他地区，德尔塔变种病毒导致的新增病例占比约为30%至40%。
虽然美国已接种疫苗的人群感染德尔塔变种病毒后重症风险极低，但尚未接种疫苗的大量人口却很容易受到这种病毒的影响。目前美国已经有1.829亿人已经至少接种一剂疫苗，占总人口的55.1%。据说感染德尔塔变种病毒的症状与早期感染新冠病毒后出现的症状略有不同；有专家表示，感染德尔塔变种病毒的患者丧失嗅觉和味觉的可能性下降，更有可能出现类似于普通感冒的症状。
当然，德尔塔变种病毒不止在美国成为主要病毒，它正在欧洲、非洲和亚洲等地区飞速传播，而且有些国家无法获得足够满足国民需求的疫苗供应。许多国家面对快速传播的变种病毒疲于应付，有越来越多人因为变种病毒正在经历封锁或紧急状态。而南美国家则要面对Lambda变种病毒。（财富中文网）
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
On July 8, New York City recognized essential workers for their heroic service during the pandemic with a ticker tape parade. The Yale School of Public Health and the Commonwealth Foundation meanwhile announced the very uplifting findings of a recent study: the rapid U.S. vaccine rollout had saved as many as 279,000 people from dying of COVID, and prevented up to 1.25 million hospitalizations due to the virus.
While the number of new coronavirus cases reported each day remains relatively low, they have started to trend upwards again. The study’s experts warned (as did Anthony Fauci recently), if there is one thing likely to spoil such celebration and reverse the progress the U.S. has made in the pandemic, it’s the fast-spreading, highly-transmissible Delta variant that now accounts for the majority of COVID infections in the country.
According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last night, which relies upon genomic surveillance data reported through July 3, 51.7% of new COVID cases are estimated to be caused by the Delta strain of the coronavirus, up from 30.4% for previous the two-week period.
The Delta variant is particularly dominant in parts of the Midwest and the Upper Plains regions, where the CDC estimates it now accounts for upwards of 74% of new COVID infections. Many of those states lag in vaccinations, with rates trailing the national average. For southern states west of the Mississippi, and New York and New Jersey, the share of new cases due to the Delta variant is between 55% and 60%. In all other regions in the country, the Delta variant accounts for roughly 30% to 40% of new cases, according to the CDC data.
While America’s vaccinated population is at very low risk for getting severely ill from the Delta variant—182.9 million people, or 55.1% of the population have at least one shot—the sizeable population that has not yet gotten a vaccine is vulnerable to the virus. Anecdotally, the symptoms of those infected with the Delta variant are slightly different than those who experienced COVID early in the pandemic; people with Delta variant cases, according to some experts, are less likely to lose their senses of smell and taste, and more likely to manifest like a common cold.
The Delta variant is not just dominant in the U.S., of course, but surging in many parts of world, including Europe, Africa, and Asia and in a number of countries that have not yet been able to access a supply of vaccines for their populations. Many countries are struggling to cope with the fast-spreading variant, and growing number of people are under lockdown or state of emergencies due to the virus. South American countries, meanwhile, are experiencing the Lambda variant.
