2月2日，国家卫健委高级别专家组组长钟南山院士接受总台央视记者专访，释放了一些有关疫情防控的新信息，值得我们关注。 截至2月2日24时，国家卫生健康委收到31个省（自治区、直辖市）和新疆生产建设兵团累计报告确诊病例17205例，现有重症病例2296例，累计死亡病例361例，累计治愈出院病例475例，共有疑似病例21558例。 钟南山表示：“确诊数量现在是升高，可能还会持续一段时间，但是我相信不会太长。” "The growth of confirmed cases will continue for a while," Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said in an interview with CCTV on Sunday. "But I believe it won't be too long." During the interview, the renowned expert also answered other critical questions that have caused public concern regarding the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus. 1. 要关注粪-口传播 | Fecal-oral transmission 据报道，2月1日，深圳市第三人民医院肝病研究所发现，在某些新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎确诊患者的粪便中检测出新型冠状病毒核酸呈阳性。中科院武汉病毒研究所也在患者的大便和肛拭子中发现病毒核酸。 钟南山解释说，“我们正在努力看能不能分离出病毒。现在还在检测，需要时间。但是在粪便里发现有核酸阳性的话，还是需要高度关注的。只要真的分离出病毒，那么粪-口传播的可能性就会增加。” 有记者提问——分离出核酸和分离出病毒有何区别？ 钟南山：分离出病毒就是有活病毒，核酸就是核酸。要是分离出病毒，说明粪便里有生存的冠状病毒，那问题就更大了。 There has been a new concern that the novel coronavirus may be spread by fecal-oral transmission. Zhong said that doctors are keeping a close eye on whether feces can carry the contagion. "It is true that some patients have tested positive for nucleic acid in their feces," he said, adding that the likelihood of fecal-oral transmission will increase if there is a virus isolated from feces. Zhong explained the difference between the isolation of the virus and nucleic acid. He said that nucleic acids are sequences of viruses, isolating nucleic acid from feces doesn't necessarily mean that there is a virus in the feces. "The isolation of the virus means there is a living virus in patients' feces," Zhong said. "We will be facing a bigger problem (if there is a virus isolated from patients' feces)." 2. 病死率比H7N9等低，但比普通流感高 | Mortality rate 钟南山：到2月2日，确诊病例病死率大概是2.3%、2.4%。因为患者集中，武汉病死率要高于外地，但不应该因病死率低就放松警惕。 总的来说，与H7N9、MERS、H5N1相比，病死率相对低，但比普通的流感要高。 Zhong told CCTV that up to now, the mortality rate of confirmed cases is about 2.3 to 2.4 percent, and the mortality rate in Wuhan is higher than in other places because of the concentration of patients. The expert said that the mortality rate of the novel coronavirus pneumonia is lower than H7N9, MERS, and H5N1, but higher than regular flu. "We shouldn't let our guard down because of the relatively low mortality rate," he said. 3. 无症状感染者应如何防控？| Asymptomatic infection cases 钟南山：无症状感染者不是很多，但是有。这些人绝大多数与确诊病人接触过，或有武汉接触史才去做检测。有报道称，个别无症状感染者可以自己治愈，也有个别无症状感染者可以传染给别人。所以只要检测是核酸阳性，就一定要隔离，要重视这个问题。 "We don't have many asymptomatic infection cases," said Zhong, adding that most of these cases took tests because they had contacted confirmed patients or had been to Wuhan. "There were reports that some asymptomatic infection cases can self-cure and some are infectious," the expert said, emphasizing if a person's nucleic acid test is positive, quarantine is necessary. 4. 如何正确使用口罩？| How to wear masks efficiently? 钟南山：普通群众很少用N95口罩，也不需要，普通外科口罩就可以。只要有公众集会的地方应该考虑戴，但不是任何地方都戴。你去球场，人没有多少，用不着戴。 口罩没必要每次换着用，一般是4个小时。口罩只要保护得好，把贴脸的那一面叠起来，脱口罩时手不要沾它，这样放的话就可以继续用。 The expert suggested the general public to wear masks if inside of epidemic areas and in public places where people are gathering. "But you don't have to wear it everywhere, for example, if you went to a court with few people, then wearing a mask is not necessary," said Zhong. Zhong said that normally, people don't have to wear N95 masks, regular surgical masks are good enough. "You don't have to change to a new mask every time," the expert suggested. "If you can protect it well – folding the cheek side in and not touching it when taking it off – then you can continue to wear the mask."