福奇說美國人有 COVID「強制性疲勞」
資料來源：麗莎·奧瑪麗 / 2022 年 12 月 12 日 / Medscape / 財團法人台灣紅絲帶基金會編譯
美國頂級傳染病專家表示，大流行已近 3 年，許多美國人出現了「強制性疲勞」。
週五，醫學博士 Anthony Fauci 在接受紐約市一家當地福克斯電視台附屬機構的採訪時說，「人們希望結束 COVID」，他們「不喜歡被告知該做什麼」。
「過去 3 年我們都筋疲力盡」，福奇說。
他指出，人們獲得針對 COVID-19 的最新追加劑的比例非常低，這就是人們願意採取行動保護自己和家人的一個例子。CDC 數據顯示，在全國範圍內，13.5% 的 5 歲及以上人群接種了更新的追加劑。 更新追加劑比率最高的州是佛蒙特州，為 28%。最低的接受率是在密西西比州，為 5%。
福奇補充說，強制性疲勞是「可以理解的」。
「我的意思是，很明顯，你希望人們能夠運用良好的判斷力來保護自己和他們在社區中的家人，而不必強制執行任何事情，因為你知道，被強制執行會讓人感到疲勞」，他說。「人們不喜歡被告知該怎麼做。是的。但是你真的很想非常強烈地鼓勵人們，當你的感染率大幅上升，隨後住院率上升時，你想要確保你做了一些事情來減輕這種情況」。
《紐約時報》的數據追踪器顯示，自感恩節以來，所有 COVID-19 指標都增長了兩位數，過去兩周病例數增加了 56%，死亡人數增加了 40%，住院人數增加了 28%。
一些地方衛生官員一直在討論重新實施室內口罩強制令，包括在紐約市和洛杉磯。 CDC 已經建議在當地 COVID-19 感染率很高時戴口罩。
CDC 的社區級別「COVID-19 County Check」網頁列出了地方級別是低、中還是高。 如果 COVID-19 活躍度很高，除了在室內戴口罩外，該網站還會建議您進行檢測是否有症狀並及時接種疫苗和追加劑。
「但要保護你自己和你的家人，並最終保護你的社區，還有很多工作要做」，福奇說。「這就是為什麼當我們進入冬天時，我們真的要全力以赴讓人們接種更新的追加疫苗」。
據《泰晤士報》報導，與接種疫苗的人相比，未接種疫苗的人 COVID-19 病例數是其三倍，死亡人數是其六倍。
聯邦網站 vaccines.gov 具有查找附近疫苗接種點的定位器功能。人們還可以撥打 800-232-0233 尋找附近的疫苗接種點。
資料來源：
Fox 5 Good Day New York：「Fauci 博士討論了 COVID-19、口罩、對‘三重病’的恐懼」。
CDC：「美國的 COVID-19 疫苗接種」，「COVID-19 各縣的檢查」。
紐約時報：「美國冠狀病毒：最新地圖和病例數更新於 2022 年 12 月 12 日」。
Fauci Says Americans Have COVID ‘Mandate Fatigue’
Lisa O’Mary / December 12, 2022 / Medscape
Nearly 3 years into the pandemic, many Americans have “mandate fatigue,” says the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
In an interview with a local Fox television affiliate in New York City on Friday, Anthony Fauci, MD, said “people want to be done with COVID” and they “don’t like to be told what to do.”
“We’ve all been exhausted over the last 3 years,” Fauci said.
He pointed to remarkably low rates of people getting the latest booster against COVID-19 as an example of how little people are willing to do to protect themselves and their families. Nationwide, 13.5% of people age 5 and older have gotten the updated booster, CDC data show. The state with the highest updated booster rate is Vermont at 28%. The lowest uptake rate is in Mississippi, at 5%.
Fauci added that mandate fatigue is “understandable.”
“I mean, obviously you would like people to use good judgment to protect themselves and their family in that community without necessarily having to mandate anything because you know, there is a fatigue about being mandated,” he said. “People don’t like to be told what to do. Yeah. But you really want to very strongly encourage people that when you’re having a rather strong uptick in infections, which is followed by an uptick in hospitalizations, you want to make sure you do something to mitigate against that.”
All COVID-19 metrics are up by double digits since Thanksgiving, with cases up 56%, deaths up 40%, and hospitalizations up 28% over the past 2 weeks, The New York Times ‘ data tracker shows.
Some local health officials have been discussing reimposing indoor mask mandates, including in New York City and Los Angeles. The CDC already recommends masking when local COVID-19 rates are high.
The CDC’s community-level “COVID-19 County Check” webpage lists whether local levels are low, medium, or high. If COVID-19 activity is high, the website will recommend testing if you have symptoms and being up-to-date on vaccines and boosters, in addition to wearing a mask indoors.
“But there still is a lot to do to protect yourself and your family and ultimately your community,” Fauci said. “And that’s the reason why as we’re entering into the winter, we’re really putting a full court press on to get people to get that updated booster vaccine.”
Compared to vaccinated people, the unvaccinated account for three times as many COVID-19 cases and six times as many deaths, according to the Times.
The federal website vaccines.gov has a locator feature to find nearby vaccination sites. People can also call 800-232-0233 to find vaccination sites near them.
Sources:
Fox 5 Good Day New York: “Dr. Fauci discusses COVID-19, masks, fear of ‘tripledemic.’ “
CDC: “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States,” “COVID-19 County Check.”
The New York Times: “Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count Updated Dec. 12, 2022.”