2014年经济学人 西班牙出现埃博拉疫情 欧洲境内首例患者

Ebola in Spain

Europe's first victim

A Spanish nurse who caught Ebola causes consternation¹ across Europe

Taking precautions, after the event

FEAR spreads faster than disease. News on October 6th of a case of Ebola in Madrid, the first contracted outside west Africa, where the disease has killed 3,400 people since March, caused Spaniards to worry not only about its spread but also about the competence² of their health authorities.

The victim is a 44-year-old hospital worker, Teresa Romero, who had volunteered to help when two Spanish missionaries³ were flown home from west Africa and later died of the disease. Health workers in Africa are among Ebola's most frequent victims. But in the developed world hospitals have elaborate protocols⁴ to minimise the danger of contagion⁵. Ms Romero should have been wearing the right protective clothing, have known the safety protocols properly, and been quickly spotted⁶ as a danger to public health once she fell ill.

Yet after Ms Romero caught the virus, she spent ten days on holiday in Madrid, sat a public exam and visited a health centre and hospital with her early symptoms to seek help. Ms Romero wore protective clothing at work and claimed that she had followed the protocols. She even rang the hospital where she had worked to ask for advice on dealing⁷ with her symptoms, but her temperature was not deemed high enough to cause concern. Eventually she was taken by ambulance to her local hospital rather than to one that specialises in Ebola cases, requiring a further move some hours later. Full isolation⁸ protocols were reportedly only applied⁹ some time after her arrival at the first hospital.

Ebola is not easy to contract. It usually requires contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. Doctors say that Ms Romero recalled touching¹⁰ her face with a gloved hand after changing a nappy for one patient. They think the risks of further contagion are small, though six people, including her husband, were in isolation as The Economist¹¹ went to press. Some 50 health workers who had been in contact with her are being closely monitored. The couple's dog was also put down.

Hospital staff complain that they had only between 15 minutes and half an hour of training on protocols and how to put on protective clothing before dealing with Ebola patients. In some cases duct tape was used to seal clothing. The authorities admit that Ms Romero should perhaps have been isolated¹² earlier.

Medical staff point to cuts in Madrid's health service, where spending has fallen by 2% over the past three years. The authorities deny that training was slack and accuse Ms Romero of failing to give doctors full information. Jaume Ribera at IESE, a business school, says Spain should have fewer but better-prepared people treating victims of Ebola.

1 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

2 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

3 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

5 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

6 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

11 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

12 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。