英语新闻｜新型变异毒株“地狱犬”来了？中疾控回应

英语新闻｜新型变异毒株“地狱犬”来了？中疾控回应

The BQ.1 subvariant of Omicron has emerged on the mainland but no marked increase in its pathogenicity has been reported, and reinfection with COVID-19 does not increase the risk of severe illness, health officials and experts said.  

卫生官员和专家表示，奥密克戎的亚分支BQ.1已在中国大陆出现，但其致病性没有明显增加，新冠肺炎的二次感染不会增加重症风险。

The mainland has reported 49 cases of BQ.1 or its sublineages in nine provincial-level regions. However, no widespread transmission has been reported and no infected patients have been found to suffer more severe symptoms compared with patients who've contracted other variants.

目前我国已在9个省份的本土病例中检出BQ.1及其亚分支49例，但尚未广泛流行，所致病例数较少，也未观察到感染BQ.1后临床严重程度较其它变异株增加。

"Currently, the dominant strains in circulation in China remain BA.5.2 and BF.7, and both are sublineages of BA.5," the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.

“我国现阶段流行的毒株仍以BA.5的亚分支BA.5.2和BF.7为主。”中国疾病预防控制中心12月13日表示。

The center made the statement in response to online rumors that BQ.1 and its offshoots were wreaking havoc in Japan with their high transmissibility and high death rates.

网络流传消息称，一种名为BQ.1.1的新型变异毒株在日本“杀疯了”，该毒株的传染性和致死率都很高。中国疾控对此做出了回应。

BQ.1, which also belongs to the BA.5 family, was first detected in Nigerian patients in June and began spreading in September in Europe and the United States, and gradually rose to become the dominant variant. Since mid-October, Asian countries, including Japan and Singapore, have been registering BQ.1 infections.

BQ.1是奥密克戎BA.5的亚分支，2022年6月在尼日利亚感染者中发现，9月开始BQ.1及其衍生的子代亚分支在欧美国家流行，占比逐月升高，10月中旬在日本和新加坡等亚洲国家逐渐开始流行。

"While BQ.1 has drawn global attention, no country has ever reported an increase in its pathogenicity, and no report has pointed to an increase in rates of hospitalization and fatality," said the center. "A recent animal study in Japan suggests that the pathogenicity of BQ.1.1(a lineage of BQ.1) is likely the same as or even lower than that of BA.5."

“BQ.1虽然引起全球范围的关注，目前，未见任何国家报道BQ.1及其亚分支感染者的致病力增加，也无住院率和病死率增加的报道。近期日本的一项动物研究显示，BQ.1.1的致病性可能与BA.5相同或更低。”中国疾病预防控制中心指出。

The center said that China will continue to ramp up surveillance of Omicron variants and promptly evaluate transmissibility, immunity evasiveness and virulence of new strains.

该中心表示，我国将继续加强对奥密克戎变异株的基因组变异变迁监测，对新出现的传播优势毒株，及时开展传播力、免疫逃逸能力和致病力的评估。

Because the virus is constantly mutating, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday that recovered COVID-19 patients are not immune to repeat infections.

12月13日，国家卫生健康委员会表示，奥密克戎可能快速变异出新的亚分支，出现较强的免疫逃逸能力，康复者不能完全避免二次感染。

"However, data from overseas has shown that the chance of getting infected with Omicron again within three to six months after the first bout is very low," the commission said.

卫健委表示：“不过，国外有统计数据显示，感染过奥密克戎，不管有无症状，3至6个月内二次感染的概率相当低。”

In addition, the commission said there is no definitive evidence supporting the theory that repeat infections can induce more serious clinical symptoms.

此外，卫健委表示，目前没有定论认为重复感染会出现更严重的临床结果。

"Based on observation of real-world cases, the proportion of patients who have suffered more serious health issues during a second infection is very low," the commission said. 

卫健委表示，“目前病例来看，患者在重复感染时出现症状加重的倾向，这一比例非常低”。

"The pathogenicity of Omicron has weakened, and the rate of severe cases is very low irrespective of being a first infection or repeat infection."

“奥密克戎病毒致病力在减弱，不论是第一次感染，还是再感染，发生重症的概率都很低。”

Zhong Nanshan, a prominent respiratory diseases expert, said during an interview last week that data from overseas has shown about 78 percent of patients who have recovered from Omicron infection won't catch the virus again for a lengthy period of time.

著名呼吸系统疾病专家钟南山上周在接受采访时说，据国外资料显示，一旦感染过奥密克戎，不管有无症状，有78%的人在相当长时间内不会再重复感染。

Pathogenicity

英 [ˌpæθədʒeˈnɪsɪti]  美 [ˌpæθoʊdʒəˈnɪsɪti]

n.致病性

Virulence

英 [ˈvɪrələns]  美 [ˈvɪrələns]

n.毒性

bout

英 [baʊt]  美 [baʊt]

n.发作，发病期