德尔塔毒株扩散，密苏里州医院不堪重负

本周，美国疾病控制与预防中心向密苏里州派遣了两名联邦“增援小组”的成员，帮助该州抗击COVID-19疫情的激增。

更具传染性的德尔塔毒株的扩散导致美国多州新冠肺炎感染病例数激增，给当地医疗系统带来严峻挑战。由于疫苗接种率低，密苏里州成为了美国确诊病例增幅最高的州之一，新增确诊病例中感染德尔塔毒株的患者比例高达73%，住院人数不断增加和病情恶化加速导致该州医疗系统不堪重负。

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assigned two federal "surge team" members to Missouri this week to fight the COVID-19.

The spread of the more contagious Delta strain has led to a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases across multiple states in the U.S., posing a serious challenge to local healthcare systems.

With low vaccination rates, Missouri has now lead to the highest weekly case rates per capita, with up to 73 percent of new cases being infected with the Delta strain, and the state's health care system overwhelmed by rising numbers of hospitalizations and accelerated exacerbations.

邻近的阿肯色州也成为全国患病率最高的州之一，10万居民中就有超过100例。在这两周内，确诊住院人数也增加了30%，医护人员表示，患者情况恶化速度更快。

被派往密苏里州的疾控中心应急小组内有一名流行病专家，他被指派去实地进行病毒基因测序和数据分析。另有一名顾问正与当地官员合作，研究如何解决疫苗接种问题。

密苏里州的疫苗接种率低于全国平均水平，美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据显示，截至上周五，46%的居民至少接种了一剂疫苗，40%的人完全接种了疫苗。

州卫生官员表示，他们希望从CDC获得更多的帮助。

密苏里州卫生部门发表声明，“我们期待与CDC合作，深入了解德尔塔变异病毒为何会在密苏里州西南部肆虐。”

Neighbouring Arkansas state also has one of the highest confirmed cases in the nation, with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations also increased by 30 percent in those two weeks. Staff reported that patients were getting worse at an even faster rate.

An epidemiologist on the "surge team" sent by the CDC was assigned to Missouri to perform gene sequencing and data analysis.  

Another consultant is working with local officials on how to address the issue of vaccination.

Missouri's vaccination rate is below the national average. 46 percent of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Friday and 40 percent fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

State health officials say they hope to get more help from the CDC.

"We look forward to working forward with the CDC to learn more about why the Delta variant virus has become pandemic in Southwestern Missouri." The Missouri Department of Health said in a statement.

疫苗的低接种率对医院产生了深远影响，特别是在密苏里州西南部。

在斯普林菲尔德的仁爱医院，目前住院病人比疫情期间任何时间都多。住院人数不断增加，医院不得不通过社交网络向其他医院请求支援额外的医疗设备。

“这绝对是我见过的最糟糕的情况。”医院的护士艾米丽·麦克迈克尔告诉ABC新闻。

“这些患者比我们上次看到的患者病情更严重，也更年轻，所以真的很伤心，而且很多人都没有接种疫苗。”

CDC高级卫生官员这几周一直强调，未接种疫苗的人感染德尔塔变异病毒的概率很高。这种病毒最初是在印度被发现，后来蔓延至100多个国家，包括美国所有50个州。美国疾病控制与预防中心说，这种变异病毒目前正在美国境内疯狂传播，比原始新冠病毒的传染性更强。

The low vaccination rate has had a profound effect on hospitals, especially in Southwestern Missouri. 

At Grace Hospital in Springfield, there are now more hospitalized patients than at any time during the outbreak. The number of patients has increased, forcing hospitals to appeal other hospitals to support additional medical equipment via social networking.

"This is the absolute worst that I've ever seen it," Emily McMichael, a nurse at the hospital, told ABC News. 

"These patients are a lot sicker, and a lot younger, than what we saw the last go around, so it's just really sad to see. And a lot of the population is unvaccinated."

Senior CDC health officials have stressed in recent weeks that unvaccinated people are at high risk of contracting the Delta variant virus. The Delta virus is more contagious than the original novel coronavirus. 

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