which has upended life as we know it.

顛覆了我們所知的生活。

Since the coronavirus was new, no test existed for it when it first emerged.

由於冠狀病毒是新的病毒，剛出現時還沒有針對它的檢測方法。

Developing one that is accurate, reliable, fast, affordable, and easy to mass produce

開發一個準確、可靠、快速、實惠、易於批量生產的產品。

is crucial to restoring some semblance of “normal.”

是恢復某種程度的 "正常 "的關鍵。

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new test that could tick all those boxes.

最近，美國食品和藥物管理局準許了一種新的測試，可以勾選所有這些盒子。

How does this new test work and can you trust its results?

這種新的測試是如何運作的，你能相信它的結果嗎？

Experts agree that we need to ramp up testing dramatically

專家一致認為，我們需要大力加強測試工作

if we're going to slow the spread of the virus.

如果我們要延緩病毒的傳播。

Since there's evidence people can transmit it before symptoms appear,

既然有證據表明人們可以在症狀出現之前就將其傳播出去。

we need a lot of testing to know just who has it and where hotspots are emerging.

我們需要大量的測試，才能知道到底是誰有這個問題，熱點出現在哪裡。

Otherwise we're basically fighting this thing in the dark.

否則，我們基本上是在黑暗中打這個東西。

But if we have widespread testing that relies on sending the tests to a lab for processing,

但如果我們有廣泛的測試，依靠將測試送到實驗室進行處理。

another problem can emerge.

會出現另一個問題。

Testing can deplete critical supplies like swabs and reagents.

測試會耗盡棉籤和試劑等關鍵用品。

And if the labs get overwhelmed, it can delay the results for days or weeks.

而如果化驗室不堪重負，就會把結果拖延幾天或幾周。

When a virus can spread exponentially, giving it any headstart can cost lives.

當一種病毒可以成倍地傳播時，給它任何一個先機都可能導致生命的損失。

Right now, the test you're probably familiar with is the one that uses a long swab stuck down your nose

現在，你可能熟悉的測試是一個使用一個長的棉籤粘在你的鼻子上的測試

to tickle the back of your nasal passages.

來搔擾你的鼻腔後部。

If you've gotten the test you may be more familiar with it than you like,

如果你已經考上了，你可能比你喜歡的更熟悉它。

but I assure you you're not the only one who feels that way.

但我向你保證，你不是唯一有這種感覺的人。

The nature of the test means it has to be administered by a healthcare worker,

由於測試的性質，它必須由醫護人員進行。

putting them at risk of contracting the virus.

使他們面臨感染病毒的風險。

It's not ideal for anyone involved, but the prevailing wisdom when the novel coronavirus emerged

這對任何人來說都是不理想的，但當新型冠狀病毒出現時，普遍的智慧是這樣的

was it was a respiratory virus, and the best place to go looking for those is in mucosal fluid.

是它是一種呼吸道病毒，和最好的地方去尋找這些是在粘液。

Our understanding of the virus has changed,

我們對病毒的認識已經發生了變化。

and some researchers now think that saliva could also harbor enough viral RNA to test for.

和一些研究人員現在認為，唾液也可能藏有足夠的病毒RNA來測試。

One group from Yale has come up with a test called SalivaDirect.

耶魯大學的一個小組提出了一種名為SalivaDirect的測試。

Not the most marketing-savvy name I'll admit, it kind of sounds like I'm being spit on,

我承認不是最懂營銷的名字，聽起來有點像被人吐槽的感覺。

but hey, times are weird and I don't really care what it's called so long as it works.

但是，嘿，時代很奇怪，我並不在乎它叫什麼，只要它能用。

The FDA has the same attitude and on August 15th gave SalivaDirect emergency use authorization.

FDA也是同樣的態度，在8月15日給了SalivaDirect緊急使用授權。

Keep in mind that just because it has an emergency authorization doesn't necessarily mean it's effective.

要記住，有緊急授權不一定就有效。

It just means we're in an emergency

這只是意味著我們在緊急情況下

and the FDA is willing to try things that would undergo more trials in normal times.

而FDA也願意嘗試一些在平時會經過更多試驗的東西。

SalivaDirect gets around a lot of hurdles the nasal swab tests have.

SalivaDirect繞過了鼻腔拭子測試的很多障礙。

For starters, a testee just has to drool into a tube,

首先，被試者只要對著管子流口水就可以了。

minimizing contact with frontline workers and keeping them safer.

儘量減少與一線工人的接觸，使他們更安全；

Once at the lab, the protocol uses shortcuts to speed up testing and reduce the use of valuable resources.

一旦到了實驗室，該協議就會使用捷徑來加快測試速度，減少寶貴資源的使用。

To isolate the viral RNA, the test uses one enzyme called proteinase K

為了分離病毒RNA，該試驗使用一種叫做蛋白酶K的酶。

instead of a process that uses multiple reagents and takes more time.

而不是使用多種試劑和花費更多時間的過程。

Then the RNA is converted into DNA, duplicated over and over again,

然後將RNA轉化為DNA，反覆複製。

and made to fluoresce until enough DNA is present to be detected.

並使其產生熒光，直到有足夠的DNA存在才能被檢測到。

The nasal swab test uses the same technique, though SalivaDirect streamlined and combined a few steps.

鼻拭子測試使用相同的技術，儘管SalivaDirect簡化和合並了幾個步驟。

This methodology means the tests can be done faster, safer, and cheaper. How much cheaper?

這種方法意味著測試可以做得更快、更安全、更便宜。廉價多少？

While the materials for a nasal swab test are estimated to cost anywhere from $15-$50,

而鼻拭子檢測的材料估計需要15-50元不等。

the materials for a SalivaDirect test can cost as little as $1.29.

唾液直接測試的材料費用僅為1.29美元。

But all the upsides are meaningless if the test can't identify an acceptable percentage of cases,

但是，如果測試不能識別出可接受的案例比例，所有的上升都沒有意義。

or comes back with false positives.

或帶著假陽性回來。

The team from Yale reported in their pre-print paper that the SalivaDirect tests agree with swab test results

來自耶魯大學的團隊在他們的預印論文中報告說，SalivaDirect測試與拭子測試結果一致。

94% of the time, and no false positives were reported.

94%，無假陽性報告。

While this isn't a rapid test anyone can perform at home,

雖然這不是一個任何人都可以在家裡進行的快速測試。

it could be a new useful tool to help get the virus under control.

它可能是一個新的有用的工具，以幫助得到病毒的控制。

To add to the good news, the Yale researchers don't intend to commercialize it

補充一個好消息，耶魯大學的研究人員並不打算將其商業化。

and have been open about their methodology.

並對其方法進行了公開。

Still, testing in the United States is nowhere near the level experts believe it needs to be

不過，美國的測試還遠遠沒有達到專家認為需要的水準。

in order to get this virus under control.

為了控制這種病毒。

Wash your hands and make good decisions to minimize your chance of exposure

洗手，做好決定，儘量減少接觸的機會。

and hopefully you won't need a test while resources like materials and lab time are still scarce.

並希望在材料和實驗時間等資源還很稀缺的時候，你不需要考試。

If you'd like to learn more about swab testing, check out our Focal Point episode here.

如果你想了解更多關於拭子檢測的資訊，請點擊這裡查看我們的Focal Point節目。

SalivaDirect was promising enough that the NBA funded its development to keep their players in the bubble safe.

SalivaDirect的前景很好，NBA資助其開發，以保證他們的球員在保麗龍中的安全。

Is it something you would trust, or would you prefer the older nasal swab method?

你是會相信，還是會喜歡老式的鼻拭子方法？

Let us know in the comments, don't forget to subscribe and I'll see you next time on Seeker.

請在評論中告訴我們，別忘了訂閱，我們下期《求是》見。