美医生敦促恢复预防性健康检查

As the U.S. continues to see declines in COVID cases and hospitalizations, new mask guidance is expected soon from the CDC, perhaps as soon as this week.

随着美国新冠肺炎病例和住院人数的持续下降，疾病控制与预防中心(CDC)预计将很快推出新的口罩指导，或许最早将于本周发布。

After nearly two years in the pandemic, it's important to start thinking about preventative health again.

在经历了近两年的疫情之后，重新开始考虑预防性健康很重要。

So I have to say, it was pretty recent that the CDC advised everyone to wear N95 masks, and now it's considering loosening mask recommendations.

所以我不得不说，疾病控制与预防中心最近建议大家佩戴N95口罩，现在正在考虑放宽口罩建议。

So what's changed?

那么，发生了什么变化？

Yeah. Well, cases are way down.

是的。 病例大大减少。

There's been about a 75% decline since the start of February.

自2月初以来已经下降了75%。

And perhaps more importantly, the number of people hospitalized with COVID is down, too, about 40%.

或许更重要的是，因新冠而住院的人数也下降了约40%。

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky says this is a key metric.

美国疾控中心主任罗谢尔·瓦伦斯基表示，这是一个关键指标。

So as these trends continue, hopefully in the right direction, the agency is reevaluating.

这些趋势希望继续朝着好的方向发展，该机构正在重新评估。

We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen.

我们想让人们在这些指标更好的时候，从佩戴口罩之类的事情中解脱出来，然后在情况恶化的时候，有能力再次佩戴口罩。

Many states and cities have already lifted masking requirements.

许多州和城市已经取消了口罩要求。

But I think the seed that's being planted, Leila, is that COVID isn't being eradicated, so masking could come back in the event of another outbreak.

但我认为，蕾拉，我们正在播下的种子是，新冠病毒尚未被根除，所以如果疫情再次爆发，可能会再次佩戴口罩。

OK. What about lifting mask mandates in schools?

好的。 那取消学校佩戴口罩的规定呢?

Dr. Walensky has said, for now, the CDC is sticking with the recommendation to keep masks on in schools, though some states have already lifted or set dates to lift requirements.

瓦伦斯基曾表示，目前，美国疾病控制与预防中心坚持建议在学校戴口罩，尽管一些州已经取消或设定了取消要求的日期。

And there really are differing opinions among infectious disease experts.

传染病专家确实有不同的观点。

Some say there's not much benefit of keeping kids masked if the wider community is not...

一些专家表示，如果更广泛的社区不戴口罩，那么让孩子们戴口罩没有多大好处……

OK.

对。

Especially if kids are not wearing high-quality masks.

特别是如果孩子们不佩戴高质量的口罩。

Others say, with many children unvaccinated, keep the masks on, given the virus is still circulating.

其他专家表示，鉴于病毒仍在传播，许多儿童没有接种疫苗，所以要戴上口罩。

In California, officials say they will reevaluate school masking, which is still in effect for now, at the end of this month.

在加利福尼亚州，官员们表示，他们将在本月底重新评估学校口罩措施，该措施目前仍然有效。

So I want to pivot, Allison.

我想换个角度，艾莉森。

I want to ask about some new studies out that suggest a lot of Americans neglected preventative health care during the pandemic, everything from cholesterol checks to cancer screenings.

我想问一些新的研究，这些研究表明，在疫情期间，很多美国人忽视了从胆固醇检查到癌症筛查的预防性保健。

Does that mean more people are sicker with non-COVID illnesses now?

这是否意味着现在有更多的人患有除了冠状病毒以外的疾病?

Well, the pandemic has had a pretty chilling effect on prevention measures, such as cancer screenings, as you say.

疫情对预防措施产生了相当可怕的影响，如你所说的癌症筛查。

Take mammograms - fewer women have had them, and now when breast cancers are detected, they're more likely to be detected at a later stage.

乳房X光检查——很少有女性做过，现在检测出乳腺癌时，很可能已经到了晚期。

A new study from UC San Diego found prior to the pandemic, 64% of breast cancer patients were diagnosed at Stage 1, early on, but that dropped to about half.

加州大学圣地亚哥分校的一项新研究发现，在疫情之前，64%的乳腺癌患者在Ⅰ期早些时候就被诊断出来，但这一比例降至约一半。

Dr. Connie Lehman is director of the breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital.

康妮·雷曼医生是马萨诸塞州总医院乳腺成像部门的负责人。

She says this trend is very concerning.

她表示，这种趋势非常令人担忧。

The very good news about breast cancer is when we detect it early, we cure it, which is why we have so many women that are breast cancer survivors.

关于乳腺癌的好消息是，如果我们能及早发现，我们就能治愈它，这就是为什么我们有这么多的女性能够治愈乳腺癌。

However, when we diagnose breast cancer late, it's a very different story.

然而，当我们较晚诊断出乳腺癌时，情况就大不相同了。

The treatment is much more aggressive, and unfortunately, the percentage of women that will die goes up dramatically when the disease is diagnosed at a late stage.

这种疗法更为激进，不幸的是，当疾病在晚期被诊断出来时，女性的死亡率会急剧上升。

So if you are due for a mammogram, schedule it.

如果你要做乳房X光检查，那就安排时间。

The American Cancer Society recommends annual screenings for women in their mid-40s to mid-50s, then the option of every other year after that.

美国癌症协会建议，40多岁至50多岁的女性每年进行一次筛查，之后可以选择每隔一年进行一次。

And they say for people 45 and up, think about scheduling a colonoscopy, the best way to detect early-stage cancer.

他们还表示，对于45岁及以上的人，可以考虑安排一次结肠镜检查，这是发现早期癌症的最好方法。