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(10/04/03) |
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SARS causes change in habits
Published yesterday by global market research firm Synovate, the telephone survey of 500 people, aged 15 to 64, also found they were changing their habits to try to combat the disease. The public are opening more windows and washing their hands almost nine times more than before the outbreak - women washing almost 10 times more and men eight times more. ``Hong Kong is to be congratulated on quickly adopting more fastidious(過分講究的) standards of hygiene,'' Synovate Hong Kong media director Steve Garton said. ``In normal circumstances, getting entire cities of people to change long-term habits is next to(幾乎) impossible(不可能發生的).'' He said the disease was being fought (PASSIVE) by government, medical or personal intervention or changes, adding ``people have seized(掌握,理解) control of their own habits''. Almost 85 per cent of those surveyed have worn a mask since the outbreak, with 53 per cent wearing one at work or school. Forty per cent of people believed the government and Health Department were taking sufficient measures to combat the virus, while(然而) 20 per cent considered them insufficient to very insufficient. Dietary and sleeping habits are changing, too. Forty-one per cent of women and 34 per cent of men reported they were sleeping longer, while 45 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men had changed their diet. Meanwhile(同時), a dietary expert has cautioned(警告,告誡) against taking the supplement glutamine as a means of preventing SARS. An email sent to the Health, Food and Welfare Bureau and this newspaper claimed anecdotal evidence that the amino acid glutamine helped athletes' muscle tissue repair faster, and warded off(避開) infection from colds or influenza. A sport dietician warned not to jump to conclusions. ``Prevention and treatment are two different things,'' Hong Kong Sports Institute sports nutritionist Susan Chung said. She said taking the supplement may help boost(提高;增加) immunity, but would not help treat SARS. ================================================================================================================== *ward off 避開 He warded off a danger. 他避開了危險。 *boost提高;增加 The company boosted its sales this year. 這家公司使今年的銷售量增加了。 |
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