社评：奥密克戎来袭，防控切勿大意｜New virus variant sounds alarm

There seems to be enough reason for people to be concerned about the new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Scientists have found that it contains several mutations that could help it spread more easily and lead to more severe disease. And it is not yet known how effective the vaccines are against it. Scientists are still unclear whether existing antibodies would react well to Omicron, which has 32 spike protein mutations, more than previously found variants.

新型新冠变异毒株产生奥密克戎变种，社会须引起重视。科学家发现，奥密克戎变种携带病毒突变点较多，有几处突变可能对其传播能力和致病程度产生影响。目前，现有疫苗治疗该毒株变种的效果尚未明确，已有新冠抗体是否能有效抵抗该毒株变种亦不明朗。奥密克戎变种的刺突蛋白上已发现32个变异，高于此前发现的所有变种。

Cases of the new variant have been detected in an increasing number of countries and there have been reports of one imported infection in Hong Kong.

越来越多的国家已出现感染奥密克戎变种的病例，香港也已通报一例感染奥密克戎变体的境外输入确诊病例。

Omicron was first identified in South Africa, from which a growing number of countries are suspending flights. Bans on traveling to or from other South African countries have also been imposed by an increasing number of countries.

首例奥密克戎变种发现于南非。目前，越来越多的国家已经暂停南非航班，并发布旅行禁令，严禁本国与其他南非国家的旅行往来。

The worry is that this new variant will spread even more quickly than the Delta variant and cause more serious illness in those who get infected with it, adding to the graveness of the pandemic, which has already plunged an increasing number of European countries and the United States into chaos.

相比德尔塔变种，奥密克戎变种的传播速度或将更快，致病程度或将更重，导致疫情再度加剧。此类担忧已让许多欧洲国家以及美国陷入混乱。

But no matter whether the new variant is more transmissible and proves more deadly, it is high time that there was a truly united response to the pandemic as the fight against the virus is clearly a protracted world war.

不论奥密克戎变种是否更具传染性，是否更为致命，与新冠病毒的抗争只会是一场全球参与的持久战。各国应当拧成一股绳，合力抗击肆虐的疫情。

There is no telling whether the virus will further mutate or not and there is no telling when or if a medical solution can be found that is effective against any variants that may emerge.

目前，新冠病毒是否会再次产生变异还需研判，而何时能找到、甚至是否能找到一种万全的医疗方案，以应对可能产生的变异也未有定数。

To strictly observe control and prevention measures so as to cut the transmission channels for the virus has so far proven the most effective way.

严格遵守防控措施，切断病毒的传播途径，是迄今为止最有效的方法。

China's success in keeping the pandemic at bay by prompting its residents to abide by strict control and prevention measures all the time speaks volumes about this truth.

中国政府敦促居民始终遵循严格的防控措施，成功遏制疫情，这便是最有力的证明。

It is important for European countries and the US to bring home to their people the awareness that adoption of strict control and prevention measures is not a threat to personal freedom but a matter of life and death. Temporarily sacrificing some personal freedom is normal in wartime and is essential for the battle against the virus.

欧洲各国以及美国政府必须让民众意识到，眼下疫情肆虐，性命攸关，严加防控并非限制人身自由；相反，暂时牺牲部分人身自由，防止病毒传播，才是战胜疫情的必要条件。

The solidarity the international community badly needs to win the fight requires all countries to impose strict control and prevention measures.

国际社会亟需团结抗疫，所有国家严加防控，才能取得最终的胜利。

Had all countries done the same as China has, the pandemic would have been largely kept under control worldwide, which would have saved a lot more resources the world could have invested in responding to the pandemic.

如果各国都效仿中国，世界各地的疫情定能得以基本控制，大量本应投资于疫情响应的资源也不会付之流水。

But global solidarity in the fight against the virus is better late than never.

全球联手抗疫，仍为时不晚。

variant

英 [ˈveəriənt]；美[ˈveriənt]

n. 变种；变体；变形

adj. 变异的；不一样的；易变的

spike protein

英 [spaɪk ˈprəʊtiːn]；美[spaɪk ˈproʊtiːn]

刺突蛋白；棘突蛋白

observe

英 [əbˈzɜːv]；美[əbˈzɜːrv]

v. 遵守；注意到；观察；评论

abide by

英 [əˈbaɪd baɪ]；美[əˈbaɪd baɪ]

遵守，遵照（法规、协议、判决等）

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社评：奥密克戎来袭，防控切勿大意｜New virus variant sounds alarm