今天，一条消息登上了美国各主流媒体网站的首页—— 美国日增新冠确诊病例又创新高了。 《纽约时报》网站报道截图 《华盛顿邮报》网站报道截图 路透社统计的数据显示，美国23日新增新冠确诊病例超过8万例，为疫情在美暴发以来的新高，刷新了7月16日77299例的纪录。 与此同时，华盛顿大学的研究人员预测，到明年2月，美国累计新冠死亡病例或将达到50万例。研究还显示，如果所有人都佩戴口罩，其中大约13万人可以幸免于难。 而就在前一日（22日）举行的美国大选终场辩论上，美国总统特朗普还在扬言：“它（疫情）正在消失。” More than 84,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 across the United States on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, a record one-day increase in infections during the pandemic. The spike to 84,218 cases, which breaks the record of 77,299 set on July 16, comes as University of Washington researchers forecast that the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 could reach a total of half million by February. It is also estimated that around 130,000 of those lives could be saved if everybody were to wear masks. 研究称，由于缺乏有效的治疗方案，且尚无可用疫苗，美国整个冬季将面临“持续的新冠公共卫生挑战”。 该研究负责人之一、华盛顿大学健康指标与评估研究所（IHME）主任克里斯托弗·默里表示，美国疫情正在进入秋冬季高峰，研究模型以及目前不断攀升的感染率和死亡率均表明，“新冠大流行正在消失”的观点没有根据。 The research shows that with few effective COVID-19 treatment options and no vaccines yet available, the United States faces "a continued COVID-19 public health challenge through the winter." "We are heading into a very substantial fall/winter surge," said IHME Director Chris Murray, who co-led the research. He said the projections, as well as currently rising infection rates and deaths, showed there is no basis to "the idea that the pandemic is going away," adding: "We do not believe that is true." President Donald Trump said in Thursday's election debate of the pandemic: "It's going away." 研究预测，加利福尼亚、得克萨斯和佛罗里达等人口众多的大州感染率和死亡率可能会极高，对医院的需求也随之增加。美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道称，美国14个州住院人数近日刷新纪录。 另据《华盛顿邮报》24日报道，在过去三周内，37个州的住院人数激增。仅22日和23日两天，美国就有超4万名新冠患者住院。 报道还指出，不断增加的死亡人数将美国推向了疫情暴发以来“最严重的边缘”，一些医院已经不堪重负。目前各医院已经出现基本药品短缺的情况，专家警告说，这可能会导致医务人员和物资严重不足。 The IHME study forecast that large and populous states such as California, Texas and Florida will likely face particularly high levels of illness, deaths and demands on hospital resources. The Washington Post reported that the rising numbers put the nation "on the precipice of what could be its worst stretch" to date in the pandemic with some hospitals already overwhelmed. Hospitals are already running short of basic drugs, which could lead to a severe shortage of medical staff and supplies, as some experts had warned. In the past three weeks, 37 U.S. states have reported a surge in hospitalizations. On Thursday and Friday, more than 40,000 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized. 除了床位紧缺之外，民众不愿佩戴口罩也是美国疫情期间一直面临的问题之一。 《华尔街日报》报道称，即便在飞机客舱中，抵制戴口罩的现象仍屡见不鲜。美国六家航空公司近日已禁止约1500人乘坐飞机，原因是他们拒绝佩戴口罩。
虽然纽约州等地对佩戴口罩有严格的规定，但还有一些州则没有强制要求。据《纽约时报》披露，疫情高发地北达科塔州俾斯麦的公共场所挤满了不戴口罩的人。当地公共卫生主管对此深感无奈，她称在制定“口罩强制令”之后，甚至受到了带有侮辱性和威胁性的电子邮件。 此外，由于临近总统大选，佩戴口罩的问题在美国已经演变成一个政治问题。因为特朗普经常不戴口罩，他的一些支持者一再质疑口罩的用处。 In addition, mask resistance has been another major factor behind spiraling infections. Currently, mask usage in the U.S. varies widely. While some states, like New York, have set strict rules on when to wear masks, others have not specified any mask requirements. During the election season the issue has become political, with some supporters taking a cue from Trump, who ostentatiously holds public rallies without masks and publicly ridicules people who don them. 世卫组织总干事谭德塞23日在新闻发布会上称，全球尤其是北半球正处于疫情关键时刻，“接下来的几个月将非常艰难，一些国家正处于危险的轨道上”。为此，他呼吁各国“立即采取行动”，迅速遏制新冠病毒的传播。 The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called on countries around the world to take "immediate action" to limit the spread of the coronavirus quickly. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the world was at a crucial phase in the pandemic, especially the Northern Hemisphere, while some countries were facing the prospect of their health services being overwhelmed. "The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track," he said. 推荐阅读：特朗普与拜登的“终场对决” 奥巴马怒怼特朗普抗疫不力：他连自己都保护不了！ 太刚了！《纽约时报》这篇社论不一般