摘要：Soumya, tell us why do public health authorities do serological surveys?

Hello and welcome to Science in 5, WHO's conversations in science.

您好，欢迎收听“五分钟科学”，这是世界卫生组织推出的科学对话节目。

Today we are talking to WHO's chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan about serological studies.

今天我们将与世界卫生组织的首席科学家苏米娅·斯瓦米纳坦博士探讨血清学研究。

Welcome, Soumya.

欢迎你,Soumya。

Thank you, Vismitha.

谢谢你，Vismitha。

Soumya, tell us why do public health authorities do serological surveys?

苏米娅，请告诉我们公共卫生当局为何要进行血清学调查？

So maybe we can start with what are serological surveys.

那么，我们或许可以从什么是血清学调查开始谈起。

These are basically tests, blood tests that you do in people to look at antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

这些基本上是检测，即对人体进行的血液检测，用以观察针对SARS-CoV-2病毒的抗体。

And it's usually done in a population group.

这通常是在一个群体中进行的。

So what it tells you is a couple of things.

所以它告诉了你几件事。

The first thing is it tells you how many people in that group, in that population have been exposed to the virus, have had an infection because we know now that many infections occur without any symptoms and people may not have sought care or they may not have had a test done at all.

首先，它告诉你该群体中有多少人接触过病毒，曾经感染过，因为我们现在知道，许多感染是无症状的，人们可能没有寻求治疗，或者他们可能根本没有接受过检测。

And so the true number of people who've been infected in a community can only be known when you do these kinds of serological surveys.

因此，只有通过进行此类血清学调查，才能确切得知社区中感染者的真实数量。

So, that's the first piece of information you get.

因此，这是您获得的第一条信息。

The second is you can also start looking at which groups are more exposed or have had higher rates of infection.

第二点是，你还可以开始观察哪些群体暴露风险更高或感染率更高。

So, if you include healthcare workers, if you include children, if you include other kinds of frontline workers, the elderly, you start getting an idea of who's more exposed, who's been less exposed, where have the infections been the most.

因此，若将医护人员、儿童、其他各类前线工作者以及老年人纳入考量，你便能初步了解哪些群体暴露风险更高，哪些群体较少接触，以及感染最严重的区域分布。

You can also look at the localities within cities.

你还可以考察城市内部的不同区域。

So, for example, you could look at low income, highly crowded urban settlements versus rural areas, for example, to see if there's a difference in exposure.

例如，你可以比较低收入、人口密集的城市聚居区与农村地区，以观察接触病毒的情况是否存在差异。

And then finally, if you do these tests repeatedly, these surveys repeatedly over a period of time, The authorities, the local public health authorities get an idea of how infection rates are progressing in that particular area.

最后，若这些测试和调查在一段时间内反复进行，当地公共卫生部门便能了解特定区域的感染率变化趋势。感染率是否仍在上升？

Are they still increasing?

它们还在上升吗？

Have they stabilized?

它们是否已趋于稳定？

Et cetera.

等等等等。

And finally, we could also use this opportunity to test the same group of people over a period of time to understand more about the immunity against this virus.

最后，我们还可以利用这个机会，在一段时间内对同一组人群进行测试，以更深入地了解对该病毒的免疫力。

Because one of the things that everyone wants to know is, if you've been infected and you have antibodies, how long do they last?

因为大家普遍关心的问题之一是，如果一个人曾感染病毒并产生了抗体，这些抗体能够持续多久？ 它们又能提供多长时间的保护？

How long do they protect you?

它们能保护你多久？

And here's an opportunity to also answer that question.

这里恰好也是一个回答那个问题的机会。

Soumya, a lot of these serosurveys have been done across the world.

索米娅，全球范围内已经进行了大量的血清学调查。

What have we learned about this new disease, COVID-19?

关于这种新疾病COVID-19，我们学到了什么？

So, there have been several of these done.

因此，已经进行了多次这样的调查。

I think we know of at least 100 CERO surveys done in countries around the world and some of the data that started coming out is very interesting because the first lesson we have learned is that a much larger proportion of people actually had the infection than were detected by testing, especially in the early days and this varies from 5 to 10 to even 40 times more people in some cities have been exposed to the virus.

我们知道全球至少进行了100次CERO调查， 其中一些数据开始显现， 非常引人关注。 我们学到的第一课是， 实际上感染病毒的人数远超通过检测发现的数量，尤其是在疫情初期， 这一比例在不同城市间差异显著， 从5倍到10倍， 甚至有些城市高达40倍， 表明病毒的传播范围远比我们想象的广泛。

So it's been much more widespread.

因此，疫情实际上已经更加广泛地传播开来。

The second thing we've learned is that in most places which have had big outbreaks in North America, in Europe, in Asia, the data coming out shows that only about 5 to 10 percent of the population in those places, even where they had big outbreaks, actually have antibodies.

我们学到的第二点是， 在北美、欧洲和亚洲大部分曾爆发大规模疫情的地方，数据显示这些地区的人口， 即使是在疫情严重的地区， 实际上也只有大约5%到10%的人拥有抗体。 这告诉我们，世界上大多数国家的多数人仍然容易感染这种病毒。

So that's telling us that the majority of people in most countries around the world are still susceptible to this virus.

这表明，世界上大多数国家的绝大部分人口仍然易受这种病毒感染。

They can still get the infection if they are exposed.

如果接触到病毒，他们仍有可能感染。

And then it's also telling us what's happening over time.

这还向我们展示了随着时间的推移所发生的情况。

There have been some cities which have repeated serological testing at weekly or monthly intervals and have been able to track the progress of their epidemics.

一些城市已实施定期（每周或每月）的血清学检测，从而能够追踪其疫情的发展进程。

Soumya, as public health experts learn from these serological services, there's so many data points that come out, it can get a little confusing.

苏米娅，随着公共卫生专家从这些血清学服务中学习，涌现出的大量数据点可能会让人感到有些困惑。

What are the questions that the public should ask and what is the data that the public should look for when such a survey comes out?

当此类调查发布时，公众应询问哪些问题，以及应关注哪些数据？

Yes, I think this is really important because the public needs to understand what does it mean for me.

是的，我认为这非常重要，因为公众需要明白这对他们个人意味着什么。

So, I think it helps to inform you as to how big the outbreak has been in your town or city, how effective have been the control measures.

因此， 我认为这有助于让你了解你所在城镇或城市的疫情规模，以及防控措施的有效性。

It will bring home to people.

这将让人们深刻认识到。

when they know that only 5% or only 10% of people in their city actually have been exposed and have antibodies.

当他们得知自己城市中仅有5%或10%的人实际接触过病毒并拥有抗体时。

And then over a period of time, of course, they can also see how the measures that have been put in place, what the measures that the government is doing, as well as how well the public is responding and behaving in a responsible manner, if that's actually having an impact in keeping the infection rates under control.

当然，随着时间的推移，他们还能观察到已实施的措施、政府正在采取的行动，以及公众如何积极响应并负责任地行事，这些是否确实对控制感染率产生了影响。

Thank you, Soumya.

谢谢你，苏米娅。

That was WHO's chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, explaining serological surveys.

这是世界卫生组织首席科学家苏米娅·斯瓦米纳坦博士在解释血清学调查。

Until next time then, stay safe and stick with science.

那么下次见，请保重并坚持科学。

来源：英语东