世界衛生組織警告：新冠病毒可能永遠不會消失

儘管疫情形勢依然嚴峻，但一些國家已經開始放鬆封鎖措施，還有一些國家試圖重新開放經濟。對此世界衛生組織警告稱，即使疫苗研發出來，新冠病毒也很難控制住，甚至可能永遠無法消失，所以現在降低警戒級別十分危險。

The coronavirus "may never go away", the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

世界衛生組織警告稱，新冠病毒“可能永遠不會消失”。

Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan warned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear.

世界衛生組織緊急項目執行主任麥克·萊恩博士在週三（5月13日）的情況通報會上警告人們不要試圖去預測病毒何時會消失。

He added that even if a vaccine is found, controlling the virus will require a "massive effort".

他補充說，即使研發出了疫苗，控制住新冠病毒也需要“極大的努力”。

Almost 300,000 people worldwide are reported to have died of coronavirus, and more than 4.3m cases recorded.

全世界報告的新冠肺炎死亡病例已近30萬，記錄在案的病例超過430萬例。

"It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away," Dr Ryan told the virtual press conference from Geneva.

萊恩博士在日內瓦的線上新聞發佈會上對記者說：“把這個事實擺到檯面上來說很重要：新冠病毒可能會成爲人類社會中的又一個常見病毒，而且這個病毒可能永遠不會消失。”

"HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus."

“艾滋病毒就沒有消失——但我們已經找到與其相處的方式。”

Dr Ryan then said he doesn't believe "anyone can predict when this disease will disappear".

萊恩博士接着表示他不認爲“有人可以預測出新冠病毒何時消失”。

There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in development - but Dr Ryan noted there are other illnesses, such as measles, that still haven't been eliminated despite there being vaccines for them.

目前有100多種潛在疫苗正在研發中，但萊恩博士指出，有一些其他疾病，比如麻疹，儘管有疫苗，但卻沒有被消滅。

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed it was still possible to control the virus, with effort.

世界衛生組織總幹事譚德塞強調，只要努力，病毒還是可能被控制住的。

"The trajectory is in our hands, and it's everybody's business, and we should all contribute to stop this pandemic," he said.

他說：“病毒的發展軌跡就掌握在我們手中，而且與每個人息息相關，我們都應該爲阻止疫情蔓延出一份力。”

WHO epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove also told the briefing: "We need to get into the mindset that it is going to take some time to come out of this pandemic."

世界衛生組織的流行病學家瑪麗亞·凡·科克霍夫也在情況通報會上說：“我們需要調整心態，意識到這場大流行病將需要相當長的一段時間纔會過去。”

Their stark remarks come as several countries began to gradually ease lockdown measures, and leaders consider the issue of how and when to reopen their economies.

在他們發表這些直白的言論之時，幾個國家正開始逐漸放鬆封鎖措施，一些國家的領導人考慮如何以及何時重新開放經濟。

Dr Tedros warned that there was no guaranteed way of easing restrictions without triggering a second wave of infections.

譚德塞博士警告說，沒有哪種放寬限制的方式可以保證不引發第二波感染高峯。

"Many countries would like to get out of the different measures," the WHO boss said. "But our recommendation is still the alert at any country should be at the highest level possible."

譚德塞說：“許多國家希望擺脫各種限制措施，但我們仍然建議各國應保持儘可能高的警戒水平。”

Dr Ryan added: "There is some magical thinking going on that lockdowns work perfectly and that unlocking lockdowns will go great. Both are fraught with dangers."

萊恩博士補充道：“有些神奇的想法認爲封鎖效果很好，解除封鎖也會很順利。但這兩種想法都充滿危險。”