═【立報】════════════════════════════
教 育 專 題 深 入 報 導
═══════════════════════《2003/05/02》═════
*****【本 期 內 容】
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教育專題 ◎ 國際專版
SARS全球恐慌 保健商品熱賣
◎ 國際專版
主文的英文部分
◎ 國際專版
（副文1的中文部分）
◎ 國際專版（副文1的英文部分）
◎ 國際專版 副文2中文部分
◎ 國際專版
副文2英文部分
◎ 國際專版 保命小常識
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◎ 國際專版 SARS全球恐慌 保健商品熱賣
策劃、編譯▓賴明芝
（主文的中文部分）
SARS疫情延燒讓各行業受到重挫，估計台灣損失至少有上千億元。如何減少SARS對經濟的衝擊，全世界各地的經濟學者都在想辦法，各國政府也在傷腦筋。不過，恐慌之中，卻有人視SARS為發財的大好機會。
口罩、體溫計和其他保健商品全都成了搶手貨。以耳溫槍為例，為了做好防疫工作，許多公司行號和政府紛紛實施進出入必須量體溫的防疫制度，使得耳溫槍需求驟然大幅攀升。預期今年亞太地區耳溫槍市場需求，將較去年大幅成長500至600萬美元，其中又以大陸的訂單需求最大。
口罩和抗菌衣物等產品銷售量，被SARS疫情拉高，甚至視訊服務和國際電話等服務也增加不少業績。預估在感冒疫苗方面有研發進度或生產經驗的廠商，較具研發出SARS疫苗的潛力，因而股價受惠。光觸媒消毒、診斷試劑廠商、中草藥、奈米抗菌塗佈技術及保健食品廠商，也都因為SARS疫情而被看好。據專家表示，SARS傳染途徑應是1公尺左右的近距離飛沫傳染，不過尚未完全排除其他傳播模式，同時可能是介於飛沫傳播和空氣傳播之間的距離，這項資訊，讓不少人掏腰包，添購空氣清淨機等產品，不少廠商也開始作更進一步的推廣和促銷。
不過，也有不少人趁此發黑心災難財。民眾可以發現，藥房在面對大量需求的消費者時，姿態頗高：要口罩，請買一打；要耳溫槍，請排隊預定，而且不能單買。有不少民眾大罵，黑心錢也敢賺，消毒劑業績衝高3到5倍，大發災難財。還有，因為漢方藥材也被民眾視為強身保健的最佳選擇，不少進口商趁機抬高藥材的價格，讓人大罵沒良心。板藍根就是其中一例。還有像是平常無人聞問金銀花，甚至漲到1公斤要1千新台幣，身價翻了好幾倍。
多家保險業者也趁勢推出SARS保險，不幸感染SARS患者，保險公司不但提供關懷慰問金，每日住院醫療保險金也提高3倍。在這波風暴底下，能夠反向思考的人，就能找到發財的機會。但是，只顧自己發財，卻沒道德良心的人，最後就算撈到錢，名聲也給賠了進去。
◎（國際專版）
主文的英文部分
Some Firms See Gold in SARS-Inspired Sales
Tue April 29, 2003 02:06 PM ET
By Adam Tanner
SAN FRANCISCO（Reuters）- Sales of biohazard suits, face masks, air
purifiers, rubber gloves and an herbal medicine that its own maker admits is
not a cure for SARS are soaring as people search for ways to protect themselves
from the deadly disease.
Knight-McDowell, a privately held California firm that makes the herbal
cold remedy "Airborne," has seen its Asian sales grow eight-fold
since SARS emerged, but the company frankly admits it does not prevent or cure
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Rider McDowell, co-owner of Knight-McDowell Labs in Carmel, California,
said monthly direct Internet sales of their "Airborne" product to
Asia has multiplied to 40,000 units from 5,000 at $7 a pack since SARS caused a
worldwide scare.
"We don't want to mislead anyone," he said in an interview on
Monday. "We do not want to profess to be a cure for SARS, but if people
want to think that, God bless them."
In an era when any crisis presents a potential marketing bonanza --
think of the success of duct tape amid fears of terrorism in the United States
-- not everyone is as upfront about the limitations of their product.
Angst about SARS, which is certainly spreading faster than the disease
itself, has boosted sales in recent weeks of traditional herbs, some
anti-bacterial products and kits professing to help ward off the mysterious
illness.
Consumers "do not make decisions based on logical reasoning,"
said Gerard Tellis, a professor a marketing at the Marshall School of Business
in Los Angeles. "They typically overreact to situations."
"The probability of getting SARS is very, very small but people
misunderstand small probabilities," he said. "Then they overreact and
they start to prepare for it and they will take whatever remedies they know
of."
FACE MASK OR FULL-BODY SUIT
One company offers a "SARS Prevention Kit" with four face
masks, anti-bacterial hand gel, and a box of 50 latex gloves for $19. Health experts
say that while SARS patients could help curb the spread of the disease by
wearing face masks, it makes less sense for the healthy public to do so.
Those willing to spend even more in their quest to avoid disease could
opt for a full biohazard suit sold by Ani Safety for $624. The massive gold
suit and giant head covering would not be out of place in a 1950s science
fiction movie.
"It's huge," one of the company's owners, Krikor Topouzian,
said about his SARS-related sales. "Over every single day that this goes
on our sales have been increasing."
Ken Rush, president of BioSafetyUSA, maker of a disinfectant they say
is effective against 61 different strains of virus and 397 strains of bacteria,
says inquiries from firms and medical departments are up tenfold in recent
weeks.
At least 331 people have died from SARS since it broke out in China's
Guangdong province late last year and spread to dozens of countries.
Rumors that certain products may be effective against SARS have also
fueled spikes in stock prices of some firms seen as potentially benefiting from
the fight against the illness.
ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. saw its stock price rise 18 percent on a
single day this month when the World Health Organization's listed its
anti-viral drug ribavirin as a SARS treatment.
Yet many big U.S. retailers and drug companies such as Wal-Mart and
Merck say that they have not seen any increase in sales from SARS fears.
Several firms are considering developing anti-SARS medicine, but say it could
be a long time in coming.
Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers
say it is premature to say what, if anything, works against SARS.
"Anything that's out there, that's not based on any scientific
evidence we have at this time," said CDC spokeswoman Rhonda Smith.
"We don't even know what SARS is. We haven't even recommended to anybody
any preferred treatment."
Chinese neighborhoods across the United States have reported an
increase in sales of traditional herbal and other medicine as people seek to
ward off the mysterious illness.
Hong Kong's hospitals have allowed the use of traditional Chinese
medicine for the first time since World War II.
◎國際專版
（副文1的中文部分）
居家隔離必備書單
根據剛從大陸考察結束的日本醫師團回國報告時表示，中國大陸廣東省可能是全世界第一個流行SARS的地區，但是實際感染原因至今尚不明確。與此同時，中國大陸感染SARS的可能人數還在增加當中，甚至突破3千大關。居家隔離，成了非作不可的事。
由於隱瞞疫情，造成局勢難以收拾，中國政府從疫情爆發以後，一直受到國際輿論的抨擊。若非這一次的疫情殃及不少國家，恐怕按照中國過去的慣例，也不會有這麼快就採取配合的防疫工作。不知道這算不算是貼心，中國政府甚至還給居家隔離的民眾「開書單」，讓他們在家好好補充精神食糧。當然啦！共黨的相關書籍自然成了首要之選。《哈利波特》和《魔戒》雖然也在這份書單上，但卻被排在相當後面。
《第十六次黨大會報告》居然也出現在書單之上，中國政府可真是用心良苦呢！沒出門上班、上課的民眾正好可以趁機了解一下黨政大事。不用說，前國家主席江澤民的著作也被列在這個近百本的書單之上。只是不曉得誰願意翻翻這本《中國共產黨歷史》呢？中國重要入口網站新浪網則表示：「是該充電的時候了！」
不管怎麼說，中國大陸人口眾多，密度也高，再加上目前醫院的資源根本不敷應付，能不能確實做到居家隔離就變得很重要了。像新加坡就是立即採取了鐵腕做法，徹底執行居家隔離政策，才能有效遏止疫情蔓延開來。反觀台灣，拒絕量體溫、反對隔離、反對這個、反對那個，還有部分民眾和醫護人員不願配合居家隔離，認為這是要了他們的命，殊不知，這是保護他人也是保護自己的辦法。
在中國大陸，共黨政府執政之下，人民就是乖乖待在家裡隔離，有沒有念政府開的書單不知道，但是，不會大吵大鬧是真的。居家隔離政策在已開發國家也沒問題，加拿大和美國的民眾也是不吵不鬧的配合政府隔離政策，只有台灣，這個有自由但脫序的國家，才會反對居家隔離政策。
◎國際專版（副文1的英文部分）
Reading Suggestions for SARS Stay-At-Homes
Wed April 30, 2003 09:13 AM ET
BEIJING （Reuters） - China's government has prepared a reading list for
people staying at home after karaoke parlors and cinemas were shut to stem the spread
of SARS and, not surprisingly, Communist Party tomes top the pickings.
Volumes such as the "16th Party Congress Report," former
President Jiang Zemin's "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" and
"A History of the Chinese Communist Party" headed the list of nearly
100 titles, compiled by China's publishing regulator.
Magic and mysticism made the cut, too. But The "Harry Potter"
series by J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"
appeared much lower on the suggested book list from the General Administration
of Press and Publication.
"In the development of human history, people inevitably encounter
such disasters," it said in a statement posted on Internet portals such as
sina.com.cn.
"We think this is just the time to catch up on reading."
China, where the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome emerged last
November, has the most infections in the world and is fighting to contain an
explosion of cases in its capital, Beijing. Authorities began closing
entertainment venues over the weekend in a bid to fight the virus.
People have abandoned buses, shopping malls and restaurants, and many
are staying at home, to avoid crowds and dodge the disease that is spread by
coughing and sneezing.
澳洲科學家要把SARS病毒注射至動物體內
最近，澳洲科學家要把SARS病毒注射至動物體內，以便了解SARS病毒究竟是如何破壞人體，以及這種病毒跨種傳播的途徑和方式。不只是澳洲的科學家，幾乎在科技方面有顯著成就國家的科學家和大藥廠，莫不紛紛投入相關研究，企圖在最短時間內研發出疫苗。由於SARS已造成全球數百人死亡，不過並沒有兒童因為感染SARS喪命，因此，有科學家希望找出在年幼者身上併發症狀較不嚴重的原因。
據了解，美國政府科學家們已開始竭盡全力研發SARS疫苗，國家衛生研究所旗下全國過敏暨傳染病研究所所長佛奇說：「當傳染病出現而多數、實際上是大多數病患都能自然康復並將病毒排除體外時，那麼這就表示，我們可以製出疫苗。」著名的華裔病毒專家何大一也認為，研發出疫苗不是問題，但是，需要多久的時間還不得知，尤其是冠狀病毒的變種能力很強，這添增了不少變數。
至於台灣方面，中央研究院院長李遠哲日前透露，全球冠狀病毒研究第一把交椅的賴明詔，即將和台大醫學院院長陳定信等人，合組一支16人以上的SARS疫苗研發團隊，預計以半年到1年的時間研發出疫苗。賴明詔原本預定於7月1日回國擔任中研院副院長。此外，國際愛滋病專家何大一也將放下手邊的愛滋病毒研究工作，協助研發SARS疫苗。根據李遠哲表示，這個團隊將於5月10日召開記者會正式對外說明研發程序。
由於4月中旬的時候，加拿大的麥可史密斯基因科學中心（Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center）已經發現嚴重急性呼吸道症候群（SARS）病毒的基因排序，相信這將有助於有效疫苗的研發。該單位的研究人員甚至將此資訊公佈於其網站http://www.bcgsc.bc.ca上，以幫助全球研究人員詳加調查該病毒。
而外傳大陸SARS疫苗治癒率高，我國衛生署則澄清，這是未經證實的消息，目前台灣用的都是「支持性療法」，尚無「對症下藥」、消滅SARS病毒的疫苗。
Australians plan to infect animals with SARS virus
SYDNEY （AFP） - Australian scientists plan to import a specimen of the
deadly SARS virus and infect animals with it in hopes of learning how the
disease originated and spread.
Scientists at the government's top research organization, CSIRO, said
Thursday the experiment would be carried out at the request of UN agencies and
in conjunction with researchers in Canada, where 16 people have died of SARS.
Martyn Jeggo of CSIRO's animal health laboratory told the Sydney
Morning Herald newspaper that chickens, pigs and cats would be infected with
the SARS virus in a bid to discover if the disease originated in animals and
then jumped the species barrier to humans.
"To do that means putting that nasty agent into animals," he
said.
The three species were chosen because chickens have been implicated in
the first cases of SARS in China, pigs have been a source of infections that
spread to humans and cats can suffer from a disease -- feline infectious peritonitis
-- which is caused by a virus from the same family as SARS.
There have been no confirmed cases of SARS,or severe acute respiratory
syndrome, in Australia, although four possible cases are under investigation.
Worldwide nearly 4,000 people have been infected with SARS and more
than 250 have died.
Before launching its experiment, CSIRO must obtain approval from
government animal ethics and biosecurity panels.
Jeggo said provisions in Australia's strict quarantine laws already
existed for importing the virus to a "P4" level laboratory in the
southeastern city of Geelong that is considered one of the most secure in the
world.
如果你最近非出國不可，需要搭乘大眾運輸工具時，可得多多注意週遭環境才可。光戴口罩出門，卻沒有注重個人衛生，勤加洗手，也是沒有用的。萬一，人在國外，卻感到身體不適，出現了感冒的症狀，你知道要怎麼描述自己的症狀，或是聽得懂醫生問了你什麼內容嗎？
Symptoms（症狀）:
The hallmark symptoms are fever greater than 100.4 F （38.0 C） and
cough, difficulty breathing, or other respiratory symptoms. Symptoms found in more
than half of the first 138 patients included （in the order of how commonly they
appeared）：
* fever（發燒）
* chills and shaking（打寒顫和發抖）
* muscle aches（肌肉疼痛）
* cough（咳嗽）
* headache（頭痛）
較為一般的症狀包括：
* dizziness（頭昏眼花）
* productive cough （sputum）（有痰的咳嗽）
* sore throat（喉嚨痛）
* runny nose（流鼻水）
* nausea and vomiting（噁心和嘔吐）
* diarrhea（腹瀉）