奥密克戎不是“天然疫苗”，主动感染无异于玩火
在感染奥密克戎似乎已成定局的情势之下，许多人决定“把住自己命运的咽喉”，试图通过主动感染来熬过此次疫情。
奥密克戎是一种新冠病毒变异株，在各路媒体的报道中，该变异毒株都是一种危害小于此前毒株、可能防止感染者再度感染新冠病毒的形象，美国的首席医疗顾问安东尼·福奇博士甚至曾经表示，未来几乎没有人能狗逃过感染奥密克戎的命运。在此背景之下，最近几周，为避免接种更多疫苗或在不方便的时候遭到隔离，许多人开始找机会感染奥密克戎。
但一位著名英国科学家认为，故意感染这种新变异毒株是一种“极其错误的行为”，并特别指出，此种行径或将造成致命后果。
伦敦医学实验室（London Medical Laboratory）的首席科学官昆顿·菲维尔曼博士说：“故意感染与玩火无异。”
菲维尔曼在1月20日发表的一份报告中称，虽然有观点认为感染奥密克戎等于得一次重感冒，但“其可能迅速恶化，进而危及生命，对于那些有既往病史的人而言尤其凶险。”
坊间证据显示，“感染奥密克戎”的风潮正在形成。看看TikTok就知道了，从最近发布的一些视频可以看出，为了避免错过婚礼等既定活动，许多人故意在俱乐部或派对中寻找感染奥密克戎的机会。另有一些假期有限的企业主则试图将自己感染奥密克戎的时间“规划”到市场需求不那么旺盛的时间段。
一名39岁的健身房老板本周在接受美国广播公司（ABC）采访时表示，他一直在找机会感染奥密克戎。他说：“将感染新冠的时间选在新年年初十分合理，这个时段我的客户大多不在本地，也就是说，我刚好能够利用这段时间来调养身体，等康复后即可开工。”
菲维尔曼举了捷克民谣歌手哈娜·霍卡的“悲剧性案例”。为了能够获得进入音乐场所的康复通行证，哈娜在没有接种疫苗的情况下主动接触染病的儿子感染上了新冠病毒，后于1月19日不幸离世。
菲维尔曼写道，故意感染新冠病毒将会导致病毒传播给更多的老人、儿童等弱势群体，如此或将彻底拖垮本已不堪重负的医院系统。此外，感染奥密克戎后可能还会出现新冠后遗症，经受长达数月的疲劳、气喘等症状，仅此一点就足以成为人们避免感染的理由。
菲维尔曼警告称，所有人都不应该模仿“美国人故意感染新冠的行为”。他指出，在许多美国医务人员的描述中，此种行为如同“燎原野火一般愈演愈烈”。简而言之，他说：“坊间有许多关于奥密克戎的传言需要得到彻底澄清。”（财富中文网）
译者：梁宇
审校：夏林
在感染奥密克戎似乎已成定局的情势之下，许多人决定“把住自己命运的咽喉”，试图通过主动感染来熬过此次疫情。
奥密克戎是一种新冠病毒变异株，在各路媒体的报道中，该变异毒株都是一种危害小于此前毒株、可能防止感染者再度感染新冠病毒的形象，美国的首席医疗顾问安东尼·福奇博士甚至曾经表示，未来几乎没有人能狗逃过感染奥密克戎的命运。在此背景之下，最近几周，为避免接种更多疫苗或在不方便的时候遭到隔离，许多人开始找机会感染奥密克戎。
但一位著名英国科学家认为，故意感染这种新变异毒株是一种“极其错误的行为”，并特别指出，此种行径或将造成致命后果。
伦敦医学实验室（London Medical Laboratory）的首席科学官昆顿·菲维尔曼博士说：“故意感染与玩火无异。”
菲维尔曼在1月20日发表的一份报告中称，虽然有观点认为感染奥密克戎等于得一次重感冒，但“其可能迅速恶化，进而危及生命，对于那些有既往病史的人而言尤其凶险。”
坊间证据显示，“感染奥密克戎”的风潮正在形成。看看TikTok就知道了，从最近发布的一些视频可以看出，为了避免错过婚礼等既定活动，许多人故意在俱乐部或派对中寻找感染奥密克戎的机会。另有一些假期有限的企业主则试图将自己感染奥密克戎的时间“规划”到市场需求不那么旺盛的时间段。
一名39岁的健身房老板本周在接受美国广播公司（ABC）采访时表示，他一直在找机会感染奥密克戎。他说：“将感染新冠的时间选在新年年初十分合理，这个时段我的客户大多不在本地，也就是说，我刚好能够利用这段时间来调养身体，等康复后即可开工。”
菲维尔曼举了捷克民谣歌手哈娜·霍卡的“悲剧性案例”。为了能够获得进入音乐场所的康复通行证，哈娜在没有接种疫苗的情况下主动接触染病的儿子感染上了新冠病毒，后于1月19日不幸离世。
菲维尔曼写道，故意感染新冠病毒将会导致病毒传播给更多的老人、儿童等弱势群体，如此或将彻底拖垮本已不堪重负的医院系统。此外，感染奥密克戎后可能还会出现新冠后遗症，经受长达数月的疲劳、气喘等症状，仅此一点就足以成为人们避免感染的理由。
菲维尔曼警告称，所有人都不应该模仿“美国人故意感染新冠的行为”。他指出，在许多美国医务人员的描述中，此种行为如同“燎原野火一般愈演愈烈”。简而言之，他说：“坊间有许多关于奥密克戎的传言需要得到彻底澄清。”（财富中文网）
译者：梁宇
审校：夏林
When getting Omicron seems inevitable, some people are taking matters into their own hands by deliberately catching COVID-19 to "get it all over with."
Purposefully trying to catch Omicron—a variant that is widely reported as less severe than previous ones and likely to immunize you against future reinfection of COVID-19—has gained popularity in recent weeks with people who want to avoid more vaccinations or inopportune isolation. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. chief medical adviser, has even said the likelihood of anyone escaping Omicron is slim.
But a prominent English scientist argues that catching the new variant is “extremely misguided” and notes that it can have lethal consequences.
Dr. Quinton Fivelman, chief scientific officer at London Medical Laboratory, says that “deliberately seeking to become infected is like playing with dynamite.”
While there is an argument that catching Omicron is equal to coming down with a bad cold, “it can rapidly escalate into a life-threatening disease, particularly for people with preexisting conditions,” Fivelman said in a note published Jan. 20.
Anecdotal evidence shows the “catching Omicron” trend is catching. Look no further than TikTok, where a number of recent videos show people deliberately trying to infect themselves at clubs and parties so they don’t miss out on upcoming events, like weddings. Others who have their own businesses with limited holiday times are timing their Omicron infections when demand isn’t so high.
A 39-year-old gym owner told ABC this week that he's been trying to catch it. "Timing a COVID infection early in the new year made sense," he said. "Most of my clients were also away, meaning I could get this out of the way and be available for work once I'd recovered."
Fivelman cited the "tragic case" of the Czech folk singer Hana Horká, who died of COVID-19 on January 19 after deliberately catching the virus from her son. She was unvaccinated at the time of infection and had said she caught Omicron in order to get a recovery pass to enter music venues.
By deliberately catching COVID-19, Fivelman wrote, there will be greater transmission of the virus to vulnerable people and children, which could possibly overwhelm already overstrained hospitals. There's also the threat of an Omicron infection leading to long COVID, which could lead to ongoing fatigue and lack of breath for months, and that alone should be reason alone for people to stay on the safe side.
Fivelman warned against anyone imitating "the latest American trend of deliberately catching the latest COVID-19 variant," noting that many U.S. medical professionals have described it as "catching on like wildfire." Simply put, he said, "there are several urban myths that have developed around Omicron that need to be stamped out."
