疫情的代价
The Costs of COVID-19
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I am Einar Tangen. And this is Reality Check.
Today we are going to take a look at where the costs of COVID-19 stand today and what we can expect tomorrow.
Most people are aware of the 600 million plus people who have had COVID, the 6.5 million who have died from it. The trillions of dollars spent by nations trying to prevent their economies from collapsing on treatment, on testing, on vaccinations.
But most are not aware that 6 to 8 times the number who have died have experienced, or are continuing to experience long COVID.
Spending on healthcare has increased by 220 billion dollars. Spending on mental health care alone has increased by 8%, and that’s just in the United States.
For example: In 2019, someone born in the United States had a life expectancy of 79 years. Today their life expectancy is 76.1 years. This does not include those who survive only to be debilitated by long COVID.
So, what is long COVID？According to the U.S. Mayo Clinic, there are many symptoms, but the main ones are: fatigue, headaches, coughing; joint, muscle, and chest pain; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; dizziness when attempting to stand; memory, concentration, sleep problems; loss of smell, taste; depression, anxiety; organ damage and decreased life expectancy.
Imagine not having the energy to wash your hair, having a constant headache, being unable to work, being constantly depressed and knowing your chances of dying earlier have increased.
Unfortunately, vaccines which effectively decrease your chances of dying of COVID, only decrease your chances of getting long COVID slightly.
Less than three years into the pandemic, we still don’t have all the answers, but the future does not look bright. As we speak, impatience and politics are threatening rational and needed scientific policies.
Keep in mind no amount of money will bring you back from the dead. Those who say, the economic effects of COVID are worse than death, obviously haven’t experienced long COVID. Those that think, wishfully, that COVID is over, like Joe Biden, obviously don’t understand that the real damage from COVID, is yet to come.
So what are the real costs of COVID？
Socially, the cost is: the loss of loved ones; the cost and stress of having to care for those with long COVID; mental health issues; loss of faith in the governments that failed you; a loss of hope, as people see their futures like their life expectancy declining. Increased social and political divisions, as people seek to blame others for their problems.
The economic cost: Trillions in stimulus funds that fanned the current stagflation; trillions in debt; 200 billion in lost wages; 220 billion in additional health care costs in the U.S. alone; an oncoming world recession.
The political cost: The failure to spend 50 billion to vaccinate the entire world has resulted in millions of needless deaths, trillions in wasted stimulus funding, trillions in mounting debts, and a pandemic that has divided nations and the world.
Interestingly, those who mishandled their responses to COVID, and suffered the most for it, are now the most vocal about having others make their mistakes.
While 1,500 people a day are dying from COVID, while more than half the world is waiting for their first vaccine shot, while new COVID variants continue to evolve, while poorly thought-out stimulus packages continue to accrue interest, while personal and national debt rises, the leaders, who failed their people, talk about the pandemic being “over,” or about “getting on with it.”
Meanwhile the countries that put science before politics and made short term sacrifices necessary to save their people and economies, are criticized.
So, the next time you think, wouldn’t it be nice to return to normal, be aware that that normal is gone. The new normal is about the social, economic, and political survival of people and countries.
Unless you believe that rolling the dice on getting long COVID is worth it, that gratifying your desire is more important than the responsibilities to your family, friends, community, nation and world, that adopting a “I don’t care anymore” attitude, means you have taken control of your life, I sincerely hope you don’t regret your choices.
COVID is not over, hundreds of millions worldwide will die, or be debilitated. Desire and politics are not a match for science and facts.
Be safe, not sorry. In the meantime, all the best to you and those you care about.
VOCABULARY
1. collapse v. to fail suddenly or completely 突然失败；崩溃；瓦解
2. debilitate v. to make sb’s body or mind weaker（使身心）衰弱，衰竭，虚弱
3. dizziness n. 头昏眼花
4. recession n. a difficult time for the economy of a country, when there is less trade and industrial activity than usual and more people are unemployed 经济衰退；经济萎缩
5. vocal adj. expressing strong opinions publicly, especially about things that you disagree with 激烈地表达意见的，敢于直言的，直言不讳的
6. accrue v. to allow a sum of money or debts to grow over a period of time（使钱款、债务）积累
7. gratifying adj. (formal) pleasing and giving satisfaction 令人高兴的；使人满意的。例如：It is gratifying to see such good results. 看到这么好的结果真令人欣慰。
QUESTIONS
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Hi, I am Einar Tangen. And this is Reality Check.
Today we are going to take a look at where the costs of COVID stand today and what we can expect tomorrow.
Most people are aware of the 600 million plus people who have had COVID, the 6.5 million who have died from it. The trillions of dollars spent by nations trying to prevent their economies from (Q1) _____________ on treatment, on testing, on vaccinations.
But most are not aware that 6 to 8 times the number who have died have experienced, or are continuing to experience long COVID.
Spending on healthcare has increased by 220 billion dollars. Spending on mental health care alone has increased by 8%, and that’s just in the United States.
For example: In 2019, someone born in the United States had a life expectancy of 79 years. Today their life expectancy is 76.1 years. This does not include those who survive only to be debilitated by long COVID.
So, what is long COVID？According to the U.S. Mayo Clinic, there are many (Q2) ____________, but the main ones are: fatigue, headaches, coughing; joint, muscle, and chest pain; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; dizziness when attempting to stand; memory, concentration, sleep problems; loss of smell, taste; depression, anxiety; organ damage and decreased life expectancy.
Imagine not having the energy to wash your hair, having a constant headache, being unable to work, being constantly depressed and knowing your chances of dying earlier have increased.
Unfortunately, vaccines which effectively (Q3) _____________ your chances of dying of COVID, only decrease your chances of getting long COVID slightly.
Less than three years into the pandemic, we still don’t have all the answers, but the future does not look bright. As we speak, (Q4) __________________________ are threatening rational and needed scientific policies.
Keep in mind no amount of money will bring you back from the dead. Those who say, the economic effects of COVID are worse than death, obviously haven’t experienced long COVID. Those that think, wishfully, that COVID is over, like Joe Biden, obviously don’t understand that the real damage from COVID, is yet to come.
So what are the real costs of COVID？
(Q5) __________ , the cost is: the loss of loved ones; the cost and stress of having to care for those with long COVID; mental health issues; loss of faith in the governments that failed you; a loss of hope, as people see their futures like their life expectancy declining. Increased social and political divisions, as people seek to blame others for their problems.
The (Q6) ___________ cost: Trillions in stimulus funds that fanned the current stagflation; trillions in debt; 200 billion in lost wages; 220 billion in additional health care costs in the U.S. alone; an oncoming world recession.
The (Q7) ____________ cost: The failure to spend 50 billion to vaccinate the entire world has resulted in millions of needless deaths, trillions in wasted stimulus funding, trillions in mounting debts, and a pandemic that has divided nations and the world.
Interestingly, those who mishandled their responses to COVID, and suffered the most for it, are now the most vocal about having others make their mistakes.
While 1,500 people a day are dying from COVID, while more than half the world is waiting for their first vaccine shot, while new COVID (Q8) ___________ continue to evolve, while poorly thought-out stimulus packages continue to accrue interest, while personal and national debt rises, the leaders, who failed their people, talk about the pandemic being “over,” or about “getting on with it.”
Meanwhile the countries that put science before politics and made short term sacrifices necessary to save their people and economies, are criticized.
So, the next time you think, wouldn’t it be nice to (Q9) __________________, be aware that that normal is gone. The new normal is about the social, economic, and political survival of people and countries.
Unless you believe that rolling the dice on getting long COVID is worth it, that gratifying your desires is more important than the responsibilities to your family, friends, community, nation and world, that adopting an “I don’t care anymore” attitude, means you have taken control of your life, I sincerely hope you don’t regret your choices.
COVID is not over, hundreds of millions worldwide will die, or be (Q10) ________________. Desire and politics are not a match for science and facts.
Be safe, not sorry. In the meantime, all the best to you and those you care about.
KEY
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Hi, I am Einar Tangen. And this is Reality Check.
Today we are going to take a look at where the costs of COVID-19 stand today and what we can expect tomorrow.
Most people are aware of the 600 million plus people who have had COVID, the 6.5 million who have died from it. The trillions of dollars spent by nations trying to prevent their economies from (Q1) collapsing on treatment, on testing, on vaccinations.
But most are not aware that 6 to 8 times the number who have died have experienced, or are continuing to experience long COVID.
Spending on healthcare has increased by 220 billion dollars. Spending on mental health care alone has increased by 8%, and that’s just in the United States.
For example: In 2019, someone born in the United States had a life expectancy of 79 years. Today their life expectancy is 76.1 years. This does not include those who survive only to be debilitated by long COVID.
So, what is long COVID？According to the U.S. Mayo Clinic, there are many (Q2) symptoms, but the main ones are: fatigue, headaches, coughing; joint, muscle, and chest pain; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; dizziness when attempting to stand; memory, concentration, sleep problems; loss of smell, taste; depression, anxiety; organ damage and decreased life expectancy.
Imagine not having the energy to wash your hair, having a constant headache, being unable to work, being constantly depressed and knowing your chances of dying earlier have increased.
Unfortunately, vaccines which effectively (Q3) decrease your chances of dying of COVID, only decrease your chances of getting long COVID slightly.
Less than three years into the pandemic, we still don’t have all the answers, but the future does not look bright. As we speak, (Q4) impatience and politics are threatening rational and needed scientific policies.
Keep in mind no amount of money will bring you back from the dead. Those who say, the economic effects of COVID are worse than death, obviously haven’t experienced long COVID. Those that think, wishfully, that COVID is over, like Joe Biden, obviously don’t understand that the real damage from COVID, is yet to come.
So what are the real costs of COVID？
(Q5) Socially, the cost is: the loss of loved ones; the cost and stress of having to care for those with long COVID; mental health issues; loss of faith in the governments that failed you; a loss of hope, as people see their futures like their life expectancy declining. Increased social and political divisions, as people seek to blame others for their problems.
The (Q6) economic cost: Trillions in stimulus funds that fanned the current stagflation; trillions in debt; 200 billion in lost wages; 220 billion in additional health care costs in the U.S. alone; an oncoming world recession.
The (Q7) political cost: The failure to spend 50 billion to vaccinate the entire world has resulted in millions of needless deaths, trillions in wasted stimulus funding, trillions in mounting debts, and a pandemic that has divided nations and the world.
Interestingly, those who mishandled their responses to COVID, and suffered the most for it, are now the most vocal about having others make their mistakes.
While 1,500 people a day are dying from COVID, while more than half the world is waiting for their first vaccine shot, while new COVID (Q8) variants continue to evolve, while poorly thought out stimulus packages continue to accrue interest, while personal and national debt rises, the leaders, who failed their people, talk about the pandemic being “over,” or about “getting on with it.”
Meanwhile the countries that put science before politics and made short term sacrifices necessary to save their people and economies, are criticized.
So, the next time you think, wouldn’t it be nice to (Q9) return to normal, be aware that that normal is gone. The new normal is about the social, economic, and political survival of people and countries.
Unless you believe that rolling the dice on getting long COVID is worth it, that gratifying your desire is more important than the responsibilities to your family, friends, community, nation and world, that adopting a “I don’t care anymore” attitude, means you have taken control of your life, I sincerely hope you don’t regret your choices.
COVID is not over, hundreds of millions worldwide will die, or be (Q10) debilitated. Desire and politics are not a match for science and facts.
Be safe, not sorry. In the meantime, all the best to you and those you care about.
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