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Scientists are only beginning to understand the health problems that are caused by the novel coronavirus. Some of these problems may have effects on people and healthcare systems for years to come, note doctors and infectious disease experts.

科学家们才刚刚开始了解由新型冠状病毒引起的健康问题。医生和传染病专家指出，其中一些问题可能在未来几年对人和医疗系统都会产生影响。

The virus that causes the disease COVID-19 attacks many organ systems, in some cases causing terrible damage.

导致COVID-19疾病的病毒会攻击很多器官系统，在某些情况下会造成严重损害。

"We thought this was only a respiratory virus," said Eric Topol, a doctor and expert on hearts. "(It) turns out, it (the virus) goes after the pancreas. It goes after the heart. It goes after the liver, the brain, the kidney, and other organs. We didn't appreciate that in the beginning," he said.

心脏专家Eric Topol医生说：“我们以为这只是一种呼吸道病毒，事实证明，这种病毒是跟胰腺有关的。它跟在心脏有关。病毒进入肝脏、大脑、肾脏以及其他器官。一开始我们并没有意识到这一点。”

Topol is director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California.

Topol是加州拉霍亚市斯克里普斯转化医学研究所的主任。

In addition to respiratory problems, patients with COVID-19 can experience blood clotting disorders and extreme inflammation. The virus can also cause neurological problems such as headaches, lightheadedness, seizures and even a loss of taste or smell.

除了呼吸系统问题，COVID-19患者还可能出现凝血障碍和极端炎症。这种病毒还会引起神经系统问题，如头痛、头晕、癫痫，甚至会失去味觉或嗅觉。

And recovery can be slow, incomplete and costly.

而且康复过程可能是缓慢的、不完全的，而且治疗费用昂贵。

Dr. Sadiya Khan is a heart expert at Northwestern Medicine in the United States. He described the health problems caused by COVID-19 as somewhat unusual and different.

Sadiya Khan医生是美国西北医学的心脏学专家。他表示，COVID-19引发的健康问题有些不同寻常。

With influenza, people who have underlying heart conditions are also at higher risk of health problems, Khan said. What is surprising about this virus is the number of complications that take place outside the lungs.

Khan表示，患有流感的人有潜在的心脏疾病，也面临较高的健康风险。令人惊讶的是，这种病毒会引起肺部以外的很多并发症。

Khan believes there will be huge healthcare costs for people who have survived COVID-19.

Khan认为，COVID-19幸存者将面临巨大的医疗花费。

Patients who were in a hospital intensive care unit or on a ventilator for weeks will need time to recover and regain their strength.

在医院重症监护室或使用呼吸机数周的患者要恢复体力是需要时间的。

"It can take up to seven days for every one day that you're hospitalized to recover that type of strength," Khan said. "It's harder the older you are, and you may never get back to the same level of function."

他表示：“你每住院一天，就需要7天的时间才能恢复。随着年龄的增长，这会变得越来越困难，你可能永远无法恢复到原来的功能水平。”

While much of their attention has been on the patients who experience severe disease, doctors are looking to the needs of patients who were not sick enough to need hospitalization. Some of them are still suffering months after first becoming infected.

虽然医生们的注意力大多集中在患有严重疾病的人身上，但他们也在关注那些没有病到需要住院治疗的人的需求。他们中的一些人在第一次被感染后仍需要忍受几个月的痛苦。

Jay Butler is deputy director of infectious diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He told reporters in a telephone call last month that studies are just beginning to look at the long-term effects of infection.

Jay Butler是美国疾病控制和预防中心传染病部副主任。他在上个月的一次电话采访中告诉记者，有关感染的长期影响的研究才刚刚开始。

"We hear anecdotal reports of people who have persistent fatigue, shortness of breath," Butler said. "How long that will last is hard to say."

Butler表示：“我们听到一些传闻说，人们会持续感到疲劳、气短。这种情况会持续多久，还很难确定。”

Helen Salisbury is a doctor with the University of Oxford. She wrote recently in The British Medical Journal that an estimated 1 in 10 people experience prolonged symptoms from the coronavirus.

Helen Salisbury是牛津大学的一名医生。她最近在《英国医学杂志》上写道，据估计，每10人中就有1人会因冠状病毒而出现长期健康问题。

Salisbury said many of her patients have normal chest X-rays and no sign of inflammation, but they are still not back to normal.

Salisbury表示，她的很多病人的x光胸透正常，没有炎症，但病人仍没有恢复到正常水平。

"If you previously ran 5k three times a week and now feel breathless after a single flight of stairs, ... then the fear that you may never regain your previous health is very real," she wrote.

“如果你之前每周进行三次5000米的跑步，现在爬一段楼梯就会气喘吁吁，你可能永远无法恢复到以往的健康水平了。”她写道。