疫情當前,不需要口罩的你請別再買啦大綱
Quit Buying Coronavirus Masks You Don't Need
疫情當前,不需要口罩的你請別再買啦
When a disease outbreak is ongoing, there are important things that uninfected people need to know and do, like washing hands. There are also things not to do, because they are mostly useless and actually interfere with people who need them. For most of us, face masks fall into the second category.
疾病爆發時，未感染者需要了解一些重要事項，包括洗手。當然，有些事是不需要做的，因爲這些事不僅沒用，還會影響真正需要他們的人。對於大多數人而言，口罩屬於第二類。
As we discussed earlier, surgical masks can help you stop spreading your germs to someone else, but they're of limited usefulness in protecting you from coronavirus in the outside world. Respirator masks are a bit more effective, but unless you're in a hospital or in a high risk area (like Wuhan) they're overkill.
我們之前討論過，外科醫用口罩可防止將細菌傳播給他人，但在防護新型冠狀病毒方面，它們的作用有限。N95口罩的效果更佳，但除非住院或身處高風險地區（如武漢），否則佩戴此類口罩實屬浪費。
So what’s the harm? If supplies were unlimited, there wouldn't be any. But there are only so many face masks manufactured every year, and a lot of them are actually made in China. As Maryn McKenna writes here, China is choosing not to export as many of their masks and other personal protective equipment, because they need them at home.
有什麼害處呢？若物資充足，並不存在害處。但每年生產的口罩只有那麼多，且大多數口罩都在中國生產。正如瑪麗恩·麥肯納（Maryn McKenna）所寫的那樣，中國目前正減少向其他國家出口口罩和其它個人防護設備，因爲中國國內更需要這些物資。
At a press briefing today, the World Health Organization's director-general noted that demand is up 100-fold for masks and related supplies, and prices are now up to 20 times higher than usual. Some of that is to be expected in an epidemic situation, but then he adds: "This situation has been exacerbated by widespread inappropriate use of [personal protective equipment such as masks]."
世衛組織總幹事在今天的新聞發佈會上指出，口罩和相關用品的需求增長了100倍，價格比平時高出20倍。疫情發生時，某些情況是可以預料的，但他補充道：“口罩等個人防護設備的不恰當使用加劇了這一情況。”
The WHO is working to get supplies to the places that need them most, but stockpiles are already low. This is a real issue that has the power to affect the ability of clinicians to properly care for patients and prevent the virus's spread in hospitals.
世衛組織正努力將物資運到最需要的地方，但庫存並不充足。這個問題有可能影響臨牀醫生適當照顧患者並防止病毒在醫院傳播的能力。
What you can do
你可以做什麼？
Don't buy masks out of fear—Either fear of coronavirus, or fear that stockpiles will soon be gone. Buying masks you don't need is just making life harder for doctors, and for people with medical needs like your neighbor with asthma and a dust allergy who wears a respirator when she cleans her house.
不要出於恐懼而購買口罩——無論是對新型冠狀病毒的恐懼還是對物資短缺的恐懼。購買用不到的口罩只會使醫生和其他有醫療需求的人（例如患有哮喘和粉塵過敏的鄰居，他/她在打掃房屋時需要戴口罩）的生活變得更加艱難。
If you're concerned about catching coronavirus, it may help you to read up on the facts. There are only 12 cases of the virus in the US right now, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker; you're far more likely to contract the flu than coronavirus.
如果您擔心自己感染新型冠狀病毒，我們在此幫您梳理下事實。約翰·霍普金斯（Johns Hopkins）大學追蹤的數據表示，目前在美國只有12人確診。相比感染新型冠狀病毒，你更有可能感染流感。
