最早在印度被发现的德尔塔新冠变异毒株已经传播到了74个国家，这一毒株不但传染性强，而且感染者更易发展成重症。目前英国超90%的新病例都感染了德尔塔毒株，美国感染该毒株的人数也在急剧增加。图片来源：路透社 在印度最先被发现的德尔塔新冠变异毒株已经扩散到74个国家，而且还在快速传播。有人担心德尔塔毒株可能会成为全球主流毒株。The Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India, has been detected in 74 countries and continues to spread rapidly amid fears that it is poised to become the dominant strain worldwide.中国、美国、非洲、斯堪的纳维亚和环太平洋国家均暴发了德尔塔毒株引发的疫情。科学家报告称，德尔塔毒株似乎传播力更强，而且导致更多重症。Outbreaks of the Delta variant have been confirmed in China, the US, Africa, Scandinavia and Pacific rim countries. Scientists report that it appears to be more transmissible, as well as to cause more serious illness.曾担任美国食品和药物管理局专员的斯科特·戈特利布称，在美国，感染德尔塔毒株的病例数量大约每两周就会翻一番，占据了新确诊病例总数的10%。而在英国，超90%的新病例都感染了德尔塔毒株。In the US, according to the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, cases of the Delta variant are doubling roughly every two weeks and account for 10% of all new cases, while in the UK it accounts for more than 90% of new cases.尽管世界各地的卫生部门都在收集和分享关于这一新毒株的传播数据，但是人们担心在那些监测系统不发达的发展中国家，德尔塔毒株的传播范围可能比报告的要广得多。While health authorities around the world are collecting and sharing data on the spread of the new variant, the fear is that in countries in the developing world with less robust monitoring systems, the Delta variant may already have spread much further than has been reported.美国布朗大学公共卫生学院院长阿施施·杰哈上周将德尔塔毒株称为“迄今为止见过的传染性最强的变种毒株”。Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University’s school of public health in the US, last week called the Delta variant “the most contagious variant we’ve seen so far”.世界卫生组织在四月份将德尔塔毒株定性为“待观察变种”，5月11日又将该毒株定性为“须关切变种”。根据印度和其他地区所见到的证据，德尔塔毒株似乎会引发更严重的症状，包括腹痛、恶心、呕吐、食欲不振、听力丧失和关节痛。The World Health Organization designated Delta as a variant of interest in April and a variant of concern on 11 May. It appears to cause more severe symptoms, according to evidence seen from India and elsewhere, including stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, hearing loss and joint pain.戈特利布在哥伦比亚广播公司《面向全国》电视节目中表示，德尔塔毒株在美国成为主流毒株是不可避免的。Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Gottlieb said it was inevitable that the Delta variant would become dominant in the US.他说：“看起来，德尔塔毒株将会继续传播。这很令人担忧。它的传染性更强。感染这一毒株的人似乎病毒载量更高，而且携带病毒的时间也更长。目前在美国约有10%的确诊患者是被德尔塔毒株感染的。感染德尔塔毒株的人数每两周就会翻一番。因此该毒株很可能会成为美国的主流毒株。”"Look, and it’s going to continue to spread. It’s concerning.… So this is more contagious. It appears that people who get this virus have higher viral loads and they have those viral loads for longer periods of time,” he said. “Right now in the United States, it’s about 10% of infections. It’s doubling every two weeks. So it’s probably going to become the dominant strain here in the United States.”不过，美国目前还是坚持采取鼓励接种疫苗的政策来防止感染变种毒株，没有显露出重启封锁或采取类似限制措施的迹象。美国有43.6%的成年人已完成疫苗接种。For now, however, the US – where 43.6% of adults are fully vaccinated – is sticking to its policy of protecting against the variant through encouraging vaccination, with little pressure for renewed lockdowns or similar restrictions.尽管卫生系统和免疫规划完善的国家对德尔塔毒株的担心与日俱增，但是最令人担忧的还是德尔塔毒株对贫穷国家的潜在影响。While concern is mounting in countries with well-developed health systems and vaccine programmes, most worrying is the potential impact of the Delta variant in poorer countries.由于新冠肺炎感染人数的增多，刚果民主共和国首都金沙萨的医院已经“不堪重负”。总统菲利克斯·齐赛克迪表示，本国正在暴发第三轮疫情，德尔塔毒株就是元凶之一。Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, have been “overwhelmed” by a rise in Covid infections. The president, Félix Tshisekedi, said the country was in the midst of a third wave driven in part by the Delta variant.在检测出德尔塔毒株后，津巴布韦政府上周末宣布将在乌伦圭区和卡里巴区实行为期两周的局部封锁。津巴布韦政府称，在过去三天已经记录了40多例新冠确诊病例。The Zimbabwean government announced at the weekend a two-week localised lockdown for Hurungwe and Kariba districts after detecting the Delta variant. The government said more than 40 cases had been recorded in the last three days.