海外来鸿：美国皮肤科医生致信关心、支持奋斗在抗击新型冠状病毒疫情中的中国皮肤科同行们
Letter from abroad：Care and support from U.S. dermatologists to all Colleagues throughout China in China's fight against new coronavirus epidemic
编者按：2月10日，正值新型冠状病毒疫情高发之时，美国梅奥诊所Michael J. White医生致信熟稔的山东省皮肤病性病防治研究所张福仁所长、南方医科大学皮肤病医院杨斌院长，并希望通过两位转达对中国皮肤科同行的问候、鼓励和支持，同时对我国政府和人民抗疫的努力和贡献给予了高度评价。信中写到：“这不是一种中国病毒。这仅仅是“人畜共患病”--从动物传播到人的另一个例证”“没有一种感染是中国病、西班牙病，或美国病。病毒是我们共同的敌人，我们的另一个敌人是恐惧和非理性的反应。让我们一如既往地相互支持、攻坚克难、为夺取全世界抗疫的胜利而奋斗！”“我谨代表国际同行向我的中国同事所做出的‘抗疫’贡献表示感谢！”。张福仁教授已将邮件译成中文（原文附后）发布在中国麻风皮肤病杂志微信公众号，为飨同行，本刊官网及公众号同时予以发布，让我们坚定信心，凝聚共识，早日战胜新冠肺炎疫情！
邮件译文
发件人：
迈克尔.J 华特医生
W1390 County Road AE Mindoro
54644-9421
michael.white@gemair.com
2020年2月10日
收件人：
张福仁医生、博士、院长
山东省皮肤病性病防治研究所、山东省医学科学院医院，
济南市经十路27397号，邮编250022
杨斌医生、博士、院长
南方医科大学皮肤病医院（广东省皮肤病医院）
中国广东省广州市麓景路2号，邮编510091
以及所有中国皮肤科同行。
亲爱的张医生、杨医生：
我写此信表达对正在应对COVID-2019病毒肆虐的全中国同行的同情和支持，同时提供美国医生对此次疫情的观点，这些观点来自报纸、互联网、医学和科学期刊。
COVID-19病毒震惊了世界。在最近的两个月里，无论是医生、政府官员还是市民都没有料到或准备好这个病毒会在全世界爆发。在短短的时间内，疫情从最初的几个人发展到40,000多，除了少数病例，多数在中国。今天，全世界都知道了这个病毒，很多国家都在采取措施控制其流行。
限制中国公民把病毒带入美国和其他国家的各种条例充斥新闻版面，许多人在讨论疫情在全球大流行的可能性以及对中国经济、贸易乃至全球经济的影响。
请允许我分享另一种观点、我个人的观点，旨在让世界看到勇敢的中国人民此时此刻所承担的重任！
这不是一种中国病毒。这仅仅是“人畜共患病”--从动物传播到人的另一个例证。埃博拉（Ebola）病毒是人畜共患，拉萨热（Lassa fever）、马尔堡（Marburg）、寨卡（Zika）都是人畜共患病毒，还有许许多多。这次从动物到人的传播恰巧发生在一个可通过航空交通到达世界各地的城市，发生在世界各地会议频繁、旅行繁忙的时间，发生在中国的春节期间。众多公共卫生医生不能忘却的历史教训是发生在1918-1920年的“西班牙流感”大流行，那次流行看上去始于欧洲，但在3年的时间里传播到了世界的每一个角落。那时没有空中旅行，疾病的传播缓慢，但仍然造成了数千万人的死亡。
COVID-19已经在中国流行数周了，对“COVID-19将造成比流感大流行更严重后果”的担心笼罩在人们心头，这种担心与许多报刊文章、政府和政客的声明以及公共卫生顾问的陈述相呼应。关切疫情是必然的，但我们不应该生活在恐慌中。
请允许我再谈谈这里关于控制疫情的新闻，它描述了许多政府决定停止中国人入境、关闭中国和其它国家的边界的画面。我们应该承认这样做的好处。虽然中国以外的病例也在增加，但增速比中国低得多。遗憾的是，各种声明中经常忽略中国对确诊病例的治疗、早期诊断、防止传播以及科学研究所做出的巨大努力这一信息。
中国的建筑工人在短期内建成了两座应急医院，政府紧急封闭了一座有1100万人口的城市，数万医护人员和其他人员奔赴湖北“抗疫”。除了抗疫，生活还要继续，数百万人要吃饭，发电厂和自来水厂要运转，报纸、广播和电视等媒体使公众知情至关重要。婴儿还要出生，儿童要上学（通过互联网），城市卫生需要维持，物资需要供应。
二战期间，英国女王曾号召英格兰人“保持冷静、继续前行”。从遥远的异国，我仿佛看到了团结起来的中国人民正在以冷静的心态、无畏的勇气在维护社会正常运转的同时，调动一切可能的资源控制疾病的流行，中国社会砥砺前行。
我有幸作为客座讲者两次赴华参加医学学术会议，我清晰地记得我访问的城市和人民，我祝福这些城市的人民、我的朋友和同事！
对我而言，对这次疫情仅是纸上谈兵的个人的关切。
是中国人民战斗在疫情的第一线，是中国的民众面临着死亡的威胁，是中国的医护人员收集标本使COVID-19得以确认，从而使我们能够更好地控制疫情并开始治疗研究，是中国的经济正在遭受该病毒疫情导致的损失！
有些人责怪中国官员没有向社会“足够快”(quickly enough)地提供足够的信息。我认为全世界迄今所取得控制疫情的所有进展几乎全部得益于中国的医生和科学家，是他们收集样本、提供样本和资料，即使疫情活生生地发生在他们面前，他们也照做不误。国际医学界、特别是中国疾病预防控制中心及其在全中国的合作伙伴迅速取得的科学成就值得赞赏。
我谨代表国际社会向我的中国同行所做出的“抗疫”工作表示感谢！人们不能逃避疫情，人们不能闭关锁国，因为疫情已经攻入城池。
因为你们的努力，全世界都感恩你们。我们许多人都认识到了这一点，尽管这些认识并没有经常在新闻报道中提及。我们必须认识到，没有一种感染是中国病、西班牙病，或美国病。病毒是我们的共同敌人，恐惧和非理性反应是我们的另一个敌人。让我们一如既往地相互支持、攻坚克难、为夺取全世界抗疫的胜利而奋斗！
再次感谢你们并致以良好的祝愿！
以下为邮件原文
Michael J. White, MD
County Road AE
WI 54644-9421
.white@gemair.com
February 2020
Furen Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology and Venereology
Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
Jinan, China
Bin Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
Director of Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University
Guangdong Provincial Dermatology Hospital
No.2 Lujing Rd, Guangzhou 510091, China
and My Colleagues throughout China
Dear Dr. Zhang and Dr. Yang,
I am writing to express my sympathies and support for all of you who are coping with the impact of COVID-2019, throughout China. I also want to provide the perspective of American physician, as I read the articles in the newspapers, from the internet, and study the medical and science journal articles, which are quickly becoming available.
COVID-19 is an unpleasant surprise for the world. No doctors, no government officials, and no citizens were expecting or prepared for the virus to burst upon the world, in the last two months. In the short time span since the first few patients became ill, the number of infections has grown to over 40,000 persons, all but a few in China. Now, the entire world is aware of the virus and efforts to contain the disease are under way in many countries of the world.
The news is full of regulations in place to prevent Chinese citizens from bringing the virus to our country and other countries around the world. Many people are discussing the potential for a global pandemic, and the effect of the virus on the Chinese economy, upon trade and even the global economy.
Please allow me to share another perspective, a personal one and a perspective intended to acknowledge the burden now carried by the brave people of China.
This isn’t a Chinese virus. It’s just another example of a “zooinosis” – or an infection that can be transmitted from animals to people. Ebola virus is a zooinosis, as is Lassa Fever, Marburg virus, and Zika virus. There are many others. This particular jump from animals to people happened in a city with much air traffic to every part of the world, during a period when a great many people were holding meetings and traveling to every corner of the world, the Chinese New Year. The lesson from history that concerns so many public health doctors is the 1918-1920 “Spanish flu” influenza epidemic. That illness seemed to start in Europe, but was seen in every corner of the world, over about a 3 year period. It happened slowly, because there was no air travel, but it killed tens of millions of persons around the world.
COVID-19 has spread within China, in a matter of weeks. There is great fear that COVID-19 will create a pandemic worse than the great influenza pandemic. That fear is echoed in many news articles, in statements from many government and political leaders, and in public health advisory statements. Concern is appropriate, but we should not be ruled by fear.
The news here focuses on efforts to contain the epidemic. It paints a picture of many governments deciding to prevent the Chinese people from entering other countries, of trying to close the borders between China and the rest of the world. We should acknowledge the apparent benefit of doing this. Cases outside of China are increasing, but much slower than in China. What those statements often miss are the extraordinary coordinated efforts within China to treat those already infected, to identify patients with early infection, to limit further transmission of the virus, and study the virus as quickly as possible.
Chinese workers built two emergency hospitals, in a matter of weeks. A “lock down” of a major city of over 11 million citizens was put in place. Hundreds or thousands of doctors and nurses, and other personnel, have mobilized to travel to Hubei province and assist those persons coping with a massive epidemic. Despite all of the efforts, life carries on. There are still millions of people who need to be fed. Power stations and water supplies need to be maintained. Newspapers, radio and television news are important, to keep the citizens informed. Babies are being born. Children still need to attend school, often by internet. Sanitation needs to be maintained. Supplies need to be transported.
There was a British message from the Queen to the people of England, during World War II: “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
From a distance, it appears to me that the citizens of China are collectively working to maintain calm, to control fear, to do what needs to be done to maintain a functioning society, while simultaneously mobilizing every possible resource to control this disease. Chinese society is carrying on.
I have been privileged to visit China as a guest speaker for two medical meetings. I can picture in my mind the places and people I have visited. I feel a great concern for the people of these cities, and for all of my friends and colleagues. For me, this epidemic is personal.
The Chinese people are on the front lines of the struggle with this disease. It is Chinese citizens who have been dying. It is Chinese doctors and nurses who have collected the samples that allowed identification of the virus, and have given us the tools to better control the epidemic and to start to study treatments. It is the Chinese economy which is suffering the immediate effects of this virus.
Some persons have faulted Chinese officials for not providing enough information “quickly enough”. I submit that all of the progress that has been made around the world is possible only because of the efforts of Chinese doctors and scientists, who collected and distributed the samples and the data, even as the epidemic was happening in front of their eyes. The world medical community, but especially the Chinese Center for Disease Control and its community partners throughout China, should all be commended for how rapidly this progress has been made.
I want to thank my colleagues in China for the work they are doing on the behalf of the rest of the world. You cannot escape the epidemic. You cannot close the doors to your society. The “dragon is within the gates” already.
I want to acknowledge how much is owed to you by the rest of the world, because of your efforts. Many of us realize this, even if it is not frequently stated in the news articles. We must realize that no infection is a Chinese disease, or a Spanish disease, or an African disease. The virus is the primary enemy. The second enemy is fear and irrational response. Let us continue to support one another as we all struggle to solve this problem and defeat the potential threat to the entire world.
Again, I thank you.
Warm Regards,
Michael J. White, M.D.
迈克尔J. 华特医生简介
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现为美国维斯康辛州梅奥诊所皮肤科主任，曾任美国莱特州立大学医学院皮肤科主任。迈克尔 J.华特医生在长期从事医学工作的同时，关心时事，对华友好，2016-2017年曾担任威斯康星州绿党联合主席，2006、2015年曾两次来华学术交流。迈克尔 J.华特医生希望通过两位医生转达他对中国同行和人民的问候和支持。新冠肺炎爆发以来多次来函、深表关切。
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发布日期：2020-02-20
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