- COVID in Europe: Which Countries Are Moving towards Mandatory Vaccination?
- Omicron Stats Are Huge, but Look beyond Them Omicron
- A Year since Brexit: How Bad Are the UK's Labour Shortages Now?
- Two Years of COVID-19 in Africa: Lessons for the World- Africa Urgently Needs to Guarantee Its Own Health Security.
- Try Veganuary? The Perfect Plant-based Egg Could be Closer than You Think.
- The Holidays Can Be Overwhelming. Follow These Self-Care Tips to Relieve Stress.
COVID in Europe: Which Countries Are Moving towards Mandatory Vaccination?
在歐洲哪些國家正在轉向強制接種COVID疫苗？
Culture
As COVID-19 cases surge in Europe there's been more focus on convincing the unvaccinated to get the jab. Now more countries are considering mandatory vaccination. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an EU discussion on the topic. Here's a look across Europe at the conversation on mandatory COVID vaccinations. (From: https://www.euronews.com)
隨著歐洲 COVID-19 病例激增，大家關注的焦點趨向於說服未接種的人接種疫苗， 因此現在越來越多的國家正在考慮強制接種疫苗。 此外，歐盟委員會主席烏爾蘇拉·馮德萊恩也號召歐盟討論此議題。 以下的討論是關於在整個歐洲強制 接種COVID 疫苗的情況。
Omicron Stats Are Huge, but Look beyond Them Omicron
隨著Omicron確診數攀高，我們應該放寬眼界
Health
Covid infections have risen to unprecedented levels in recent weeks because of the Omicron variant. But, as early evidence suggested it would, this variant is causing milder illness, for now at least. The sheer weight of infections means while Omicron is milder, but patient numbers in hospitals have been going up. All this begs the question why something more is not being done to suppress the wave in England. The problem now - illustrated by modelling produced for the government by Warwick University - is the window may already have passed. To have had a significant impact measures would need to have been introduced by Boxing Day or earlier, before Omicron had spread so much. (From: https://www.bbc.com)
由於Omicron變異種的出現，Covid的感染率最近上升到前所未有的程度。然而，如初期研究所預測，目前看來這株變異體導致的症狀都較輕微。如今，雖然 Omicron 病情較輕，但住院患者人數一直在增加。所有的問題指向英國政府，為何沒有採取更多的措施來抑制英格蘭的疫情。根據華威克大學為英國政府製作的模型，問題在於可能已經錯過時機點。政府應該要在重大節日來臨前，做出明顯有效的措施，以免Omicron傳播變得覆水難收。
A Year since Brexit: How Bad Are the UK's Labour Shortages Now?
英國脫離歐盟滿一年：英國的勞動力短缺現在有多嚴重？
Culture
The year 2021, the first since the UK operated independently outside the European Union, saw a torrent of complaints about labour shortages from across the economic spectrum. Although the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact, sectors which relied on the freedom of movement of EU workers before Brexit appear to have suffered the most. (Article with video; from: https://www.euronews.com)
2021 年是英國脫歐的第一年，自此出現了大量的投訴有關於整個經濟領域勞動力短缺。 雖然冠狀病毒大流行已經產生了重大影響，但某些行業受到更大的衝擊來自於脫歐前高度依賴自由移動於歐盟國的勞工。
Two Years of COVID-19 in Africa: Lessons for the World- Africa Urgently Needs to Guarantee Its Own Health Security.
COVID-19兩年在非洲帶給世人的課題—非洲自身的健康安全亟需保障
Sciences
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa’s rapid and coordinated response, informed by emerging data, was remarkable. Now, in 2022, as vast vaccination campaigns have enabled the global north to gain some control over the pandemic, Africa lags behind. Leaders of African countries are desperately trying to access COVID-19 vaccines. Around 47% of people have been fully vaccinated globally, and many countries in the world are giving a further (booster) dose to their citizens. Yet Africa is still struggling — it has achieved full coverage in only about 7% of eligible people (currently, those who are 18 or older). Currently, Africa imports 70–90% of its drugs; there is almost no biotechnology sector. For comparison, China and India, with comparable populations, import 5% and 20%, respectively. There is also a severe shortage of human resources. There are currently only around 1,900 epidemiologists in Africa — far fewer than the 6,000 needed, as stipulated by the Global Health Security Agenda. (From: https://www.nature.com)
COVID-19大流行最初幾個月，非洲對即時數據迅速同步的反應，令人驚嘆。至今2022年，大規模的疫苗接種已使北半球疫情獲得控制，非洲卻落後了。非洲國家的領導人亟欲取得疫苗。全球約有47%人口已完整接種疫苗，且有多國正提供公民追加施打；而非洲仍身處困境－疫苗完整覆蓋率僅7%（18歲及以上符合條件者）。非洲目前70-90%的藥物仰賴進口，且幾乎沒有生物技術單位；而人口相當的中國和印度各進口5%和20%。非洲人力也嚴重短缺，只有約1900名流行病學家－遠低於《全球衛生安全議程》規定所需的6000名。
Try Veganuary? The Perfect Plant-based Egg Could be Closer than You Think.
要嘗試素食嗎？完美的植物蛋會比你想像的更趨近真實！
Sciences
If you have embarked on veganuary, chances are that eggs are one of the few things you’ve given up on. Unlike milk, chocolate or even cheese, natural eggs are notoriously hard to replicate. But a new formula means that the foodstuff could be coming to a supermarket shelf near you soon- complete with yolk and shell. Two French biologists decided to take advantage of the booming market for vagan alternatives as part of a project at Paris’s Ecole de Biologie Industrielle in 2017, and they spent 3 years on testing 50 recipes to reach a stage where the product was recognizable in its current form as something consumers would want from an egg. They partnered with incubator program Station F and succeed in a crowdfunding campaign in 2021, so we can egg-spect the foodstuff any day now. (From: https://www.euronews.com)
若你開始吃素，蛋或許是你需要放棄的東西之一。不同於牛奶、巧克力或乳酪，蛋眾所皆知地難複製。不過，一個新配方可能將人造蛋上架到您附近的超市－連蛋黃和殼。兩位法國生物學家於2017年決定在素食代替品蓬勃發展的市場，發展巴黎高等生物工業學院的一個計畫項目。他們花了3年測試50個食譜，才讓產品達到消費者認知中「蛋」的型態。他們隨後與產業育成公司合作，於2021年讓產品上市的募資計畫成功達標。人造蛋在超市上架指日可待！
The Holidays Can Be Overwhelming. Follow These Self-Care Tips to Relieve Stress.
假期可能會帶來壓力，用這些自我保健技巧來緩解
Health
What's supposed to be the happiest time of year can quickly turn into a stressful flurry of holiday activities and endless shopping lists, even in the best of times. There are six-part guides that will inform and inspire you to reduce stress while learning how to harness it. 1. Prioritize your tasks; 2. Baking to connect with others; 3. Take a walk- Walking is a great way to reduce anxiety and lower stress, especially outside in nature; 4. Put the phone away; 5. Take a power nap; 6. Call a loved one (From: https://edition.cnn.com)
本應是一年中最快樂的時光，即使在最好的時候，也可能變成一連串令人緊張的假期活動和無盡的購物清單。我們的六個指南將告知並激勵您在學習如何駕馭壓力的同時減輕壓力。 1. 將工作分出輕重緩急；2. 烘焙可以是將人們聚集在一起的一種治療活動；3. 散步-步行是減少焦慮和減輕壓力的好方法，尤其是在大自然中；4. 放下手機；5. 小睡一會兒；6. 打電話給親人