《中英對照讀新聞》Shift workers more susceptible to infections 輪值工作者更容易感染疾病

◎孫宇青

People are more susceptible to infection at certain times of the day, research from the University of Cambridge suggests.

劍橋大學的研究指出，人們在一天中的某些時段更容易生病。

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Academics found that the body clock affected the ability of viruses to replicate and spread between cells, with those in a resting phase or with a disrupted body clock more likely to succumb to illness.

學者發現，生理時鐘會影響病毒在細胞間繁殖和擴散的能力，身體處於休息階段，或生理時鐘混亂的人，更有可能被疾病趁虛而入。

When a virus enters the body, it hijacks cells to help it replicate and spread. Our circadian rhythms would have an influence on it.

病毒進入人體後，會藉由控制細胞來繁殖和擴散。我們的日常作息，也會對其造成影響。

The time of day of infection can have a major influence on how susceptible we are to the disease and how serious the virus replicates. This means that infection at the wrong time of day could cause a much more severe acute infection.

在一天中的什麼時間感染病毒，會影響我們受疾病所苦，以及病毒繁殖的程度。也就是說，在錯誤的時間受到病毒感染，可能會使病情更為嚴重。

Furthermore, researchers also found that, when the body clock was disrupted, no matter when a person is infected, the viral replication was always high. This indicates that shift workers, who work some nights and rest some nights and so have a disrupted body clock, will be more susceptible to viral diseases.

此外，研究人員也發現，若生理時鐘受到干擾，不論在什麼時間點感染病毒，病毒繁殖的情況都很嚴重。這項研究指出，有時必須在夜晚工作、有時卻休息的輪值工作者，因為生理時鐘混亂，更容易生病。

新聞辭典

susceptible：形容詞，易受…影響的。例句：Adolescents are susceptible to advertising. （青少年容易受到廣告影響。）

replicate：動詞，複製。例句：Viruses can replicate in the blood. （病毒可在血液中繁殖。）

circadian：形容詞，全天的。例句：My circadian rhythms got disrupted because of heavy workload. （因為工作量龐大，我的生理時鐘一團亂。）