新闻背景:
致命的埃博拉病毒持续发威,全球公共卫生拉警报,英国法尔茅斯,装备有全套医院设备的医疗船百眼巨人号(RFA Argus)及750名军事人员,启程驶往非洲塞拉利昂,帮助当地抗击严重的埃博拉疫情。
10月15日,世界卫生组织称,死于埃博拉爆发的人数估计已上升到4447人,绝大多数是在西非,而塞拉利昂是疫情最为严重的国家之一,如果不加强全球抗击埃博拉的努力,两个月内就会看到每周出现一万个新病例的情况。目前,共有8914例埃博拉病例,包括死亡病例。
曾在非洲参与打击伊毒工作的英国专家指出,除非研发有效疫苗对抗,否则不仅西非3国沦陷,还将威胁其它15个非洲国家。
目前在英国、美国及在没有传出埃博拉病毒病例的马利进行3种不同疫苗的测试,结果要到11月底或12月初才会揭晓,如果测试结果良好,将在圣诞节前提供给感染风险高的医护人员。
Well this is flyco which stands for flight control and this very small crammed room that overlook the main flight deck will be without doubt the busiest part of the ship when operations are in full swing, because from here the flights of the Merlin helicopters will be coordinated and controlled.
Below deck there are four giant hangers, this is just half of one and this is where the supplies and the three Merlin helicopters will be out or looked after by hundreds of ground crew and royal naval personnel.
As well as the helicopters on board, these royal marine launches will ferry people very quickly on and off shore, they are effectively speed boats, initially this deployment has been penciled and to last six months, but privately there is an acknowledgement that the British military contribution to defeat the spread of the Ebola virus will last as long as it needs to.