Top 10 Tips to Stay Safe During an Epidemic1疫情期間保持安全的十大訣竅

Janet Raloff 梁小明

★ Dont panic. From flu to COVID-19， these key steps can limit your risk of most infections2. Experts repeat it over and over. The first line of defense is washing your hands. During an epidemic， you cant be too clean.

*不要恐慌。從流感到新型冠狀病毒肺炎（COVID-19），下面這些關鍵步驟可以限制住大多數感染的風險。專家們一遍又一遍地重復。第一道防線是洗手。在疫情期間，越愛干凈越好。

Whether bird flu， COVID-19， MERS or Zika， the threat of a serious epidemic can strike fear in people across the globe. Its wise to respect these infections. After all， each can seriously sicken people. Still， theres no reason to panic. You can protect yourself by practising good hygiene3.

Heres what infectious-disease experts and officials at the World Health Organization advise：

無論是禽流感、新型冠狀病毒肺炎、中東呼吸綜合征（MERS）還是寨卡病毒（Zika），嚴重流行病的威脅都會在全球范圍內引起人們的恐慌。重視這些傳染病是明智的。畢竟，每種傳染病都會讓人得重病。不過，沒有理由恐慌。你可以通過保持良好的衛生習慣來保護自己。

以下是世界衛生組織的傳染病專家和官員的建議：

1. Wash your hands！

洗手！

Often. Assume that sneezes or germy4 hands have left infectious residues5 on every surface that you have not personally cleaned or seen cleaned （especially outside your home）. Scrub6 away for 20 seconds. （Sing the Happy Birthday Song twice—and not quickly—while you wash.） Dont forget to wash between fingers and under nails. If soap and water is unavailable， you can disinfect7 hands with an alcohol-based8 hand sanitizer9. Another option： If you have to turn a door knob， put a clean tissue or paper towel between the knob and your hand.

要經常洗手。假設打噴嚏或沾有細菌的手，在每個你沒有親自清洗或看到清洗過的（尤其是在你家外面的）物體表面留下了有傳染性的殘留物。要清洗20秒。（洗手的時候可以唱兩遍生日歌——不要唱得太快。）別忘了洗手指之間和指甲縫里。如果沒有肥皂和水，可以用含酒精的洗手液給雙手消毒。你還有另一個選擇：如果你必須轉動門把手，那你可以用干凈的紙巾隔在門把手和你的手之間。

2. Disinfect surfaces.

消毒表面。

These include desk tops， mobile phones， computer keyboards， TV remotes10， door handles and kitchen counters. Rub them down with a rag or paper towel that has been dampened11 with alcohol-based disinfectant12.

包括桌面、手機、電腦鍵盤、電視遙控器、門把手和廚房柜臺。用沾有酒精消毒劑的抹布或紙巾擦拭。

3. Dont eat food or handle dishes or utensils touched by a sick family member.

不要吃生病的家人碰過的食物，也不要拿他們碰過的盤子或器皿。

If you must touch a spoon someone else has handled （but not had in their mouth）， do so. Then wash your hands.

如果你一定要碰別人拿過（但未曾被他們放進嘴里）的勺子，那就這樣做吧。然后你要洗手。

4. Dont share a towel with anyone in your household who is sick.

不要和家里生病的人共用毛巾。

Get your own and make sure it is washed regularly with hot water. Dry towels in the sun or a hot dryer cycle.

When anyone in your home has an infectious disease， dont risk spreading it with a contaminated13 towel. Everyone in the family should have their own and get it washed frequently.

使用自己的毛巾，并確保定期用熱水清洗它們。把毛巾放在陽光下曬干或用烘干機烘干。……