近日，新型冠狀病毒疫情在美國加速蔓延，愈發嚴重。
據美國有線電視新聞網(CNN)統計，截至美東時間10日早，全美已確診至少717例新冠肺炎病例，其中包括死亡病例26例。疫情迅速蔓延至全美36個州和首都華盛頓特區，美國至少10個州宣布進入緊急狀態，以調動更多應急資源。
CNN reported, at least 26 people have died from the virus in the United States. Nationwide, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 717, according to figures from local, state and federal health officials. There are now 36 states with coronavirus cases.At least tenstateshave declared states of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, so far.
隨著疫情擴散，美國國內對相關醫療物資的需求也驟然上升。不少人開始擔心起美國的口罩庫存……
比如有推特網友在2月底就發推表示，美國很多超市和便利店裡的口罩早就賣光了……
- 「有人開始囤醫用口罩、消毒噴霧和消毒洗手液了嗎？我今天下班正要去超市買，希望還有貨。」
-「這些照片是前天和昨天拍的。口罩和礦泉水全都賣光了。坐標北加州。」
「在美國不必因為疫情恐慌……（然而）超市架子上的口罩區空空如也……」
口罩短缺的問題，甚至影響到了美劇劇組……
上周一，高口碑醫療美劇《良醫》（The Good Doctor）的主演弗萊迪·海默（Freddie Highmore），做客《吉米今夜秀》節目時，聊到了新冠肺炎疫情給劇組帶來的「令人始料未及」的影響。
While chatting on Jimmy Kimmel Live last Monday, The Good Doctor star Freddie Highmore told the talk show host all about how Coronavirus is affecting his show "in a different way" than people might expect.
海默說，雖然劇組沒有因為疫情停工，但讓人頭疼的是，片場的道具醫用口罩（surgical masks）和護目鏡(goggles)都快被人拿光了……
The actor explained: "They called us all into set the other day and said, 'We know you're all really worried about the Coronavirus, but you gotta stop taking the surgical masks from the set because we’re running out…'"
他無可奈何的開玩笑說道：「如果最後一集你看到我們都穿著短褲、T恤和墨鏡登場，那是因為護目鏡都被拿光了……」
"So, if you see in the season finale where they’re in shorts and a t-shirt and sunglasses, because the goggles have gone…"
讓人哭笑不得的是，被偷走的道具口罩還是已經過期的，所以很可能失效了……
Freddie added that the masks likely won't actually do anyone any good because they’re past their prime.
海默接著吐槽道，更讓他「一臉問號」的是，就連道具殺菌皂（anti-bacterial soap）也被偷走了。殺菌又不殺病毒，就問你們偷個啥勁呢？
He revealed cast and crew are also "stealing" the antibacterial soap from the set "but it's a virus so it's completely useless."
這部被「偷口罩的」美劇《良醫》，改編自韓國同名電視劇，在美國ABC電視臺播出，曾創下2017年年度全美最受歡迎電視劇的佳績，目前已播出三季。
疫情期間，這部劇在中國國內又重新火了一次，狂攬大批新劇粉。
英國演員弗萊迪·海默在劇中飾演男主角——患有自閉症的天才外科醫生，雖然與人們的日常溝通存在障礙，但業務能力卻相當驚人。
因為是醫療劇，劇組的口罩等醫療物品自然少不了……
據外媒7日報導，《良醫》目前正在拍攝第四季，所有的工作人員目前都身體健康未受病毒感染。
不過，聽完海默在節目裡的吐槽，國內小夥伴也好奇：美國口罩究竟短缺到啥地步，都讓人從片場順走「公物」了？
此前，據《紐約郵報》報導，2月25日，美國衛生與公眾服務部長亞歷克斯·阿扎在接受國會議員質詢時稱，美國目前醫療物資應急儲備嚴重短缺，醫護人員的口罩需求缺口達到近3億。
Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services of the United States, told a Senate panel on Feb 25 that medical supplies were badly needed for the nation’s emergency stockpile, including 300 million masks for health care workers alone.
美國衛生與公眾服務部長亞歷克斯·阿扎 資料圖
在美國各大電商平臺上，口罩及其他防護用品的價格也一路飆升……
據《金融時報》3月3日一篇名為《亞馬遜打擊與新冠病毒相關產品的高售價》的報導稱，在亞馬遜網站上，有些商家甚至將洗手液和口罩的價格提升至日常零售價的2000%。
Hand sanitiser and respiratory masks were in some cases being sold on the site on Monday at a more than 2,000 per cent mark-up, compared to normal retail prices.
該報導稱，截止稿件發布，在亞馬遜網站上，某個未經授權的零售商出售一包20隻裝的3M口罩，要價高達387美元，而正常零售價僅為14美元左右。
正常零售價格 圖源CNBC
一盒24瓶、每瓶2盎司的Purell牌洗手液，平時售價不到10美元，現在被賣到400美元。
Among the many examples still available at the time of writing, a pack of 20 masks made by manufacturer 3M, but sold by an unauthorised reseller, was on sale at $387, compared to a normal retail price of around $14. A pack of 24 2oz bottles of Purell hand sanitiser, typically sold for less than $10 a box, was listed at $400.
據CNBC報導，近期美國亞馬遜、沃爾瑪、eBay、易集等電商平臺上的醫療用品的價格都出現了胡亂要價（gouging）的現象。目前這些電商都表示此舉是被禁止的，他們已經下架商品或暫停了違反平臺規定的商家。
Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy are among the online platforms that have been hit with price gouging or misleading medical products. All of the companies say that this activity isn’t allowed on their platforms and that they』ve removed listings or suspended sellers that violate their policies.
不過CNBC報導稱，現在還是能搜索到一些違反規定亂要價的商品，因而這一問題仍舊存在。
But CNBC was able to find examples of products that appeared to flout these rules, illustrating that the problem still persists.
圖源 CNBC
防控疫情，一線醫護物資必不可少。在這種情況下，美國也開始急了……
據中國日報報導，當地時間3月6日，有美國媒體報導稱，川普政府已經批准豁免自中國進口的100多種醫療產品的進口關稅，包括口罩、醫用手套和消毒溼巾。
The Trump administration has granted exclusions from import tariffs for more than 100 medical items imported from China, including face masks, examination gloves and sanitizing wipes.
該美國媒體報導稱，美國政府這次批准了27家企業的關稅豁免申請。這些企業在1月31日的截止日期之前提交了申請，那時疫情主要發生在中國，但是美國公司已著手準備應對國內流行的情況了。
根據路透社報導，與往常相比，新冠肺炎疫情暴發期間，很多醫療產品關稅豁免的申請處理流程，明顯都被加快了。從1月31日截止日期到獲準，只用了一多個月的時間。
Many of the exclusion requests for medical products appear to have been expedited amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak, with approvals granted just over one month past a Jan. 31 application deadline.
其他自中國進口產品的免關稅申請審批，往往要耗時數月之久。蘋果公司去年10月31日，就提交了耳機和智能音箱的關稅豁免申請，至今仍未有結果。
Requests to exclude other products from President Donald Trump’s Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods have taken months. Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) requests for exclusions on products from AirPod headphones to the HomePod smart speaker filed on Oct. 31 are still pending.
其實，美國早就有人在呼籲擴大醫療用品的進口。
去年6月，美國貿易代表辦公室舉辦的聽證會上，美國衛生行業分銷商協會主席馬修就曾作證說：「關稅給醫療服務和公共衛生帶來的風險，大於其給貿易或經濟帶來的益處」。
"The risks to health care and public health from tariffs outweigh any benefit to trade or economics," Matthew Rowan, president of the Health Industry Distributors Association said.
可惜當時的美國政府並沒有聽進去。
美國醫療設備貿易協會（AdvaMed）也曾在1月31日寫信，呼籲美國貿易代表辦公室降低相關商品的關稅，「這對幫助控制疫情至關重要」。
In a January 31 letter to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), medtech trade group AdvaMed requested that several items that would be useful during the coronavirus outbreak be exempted from tariffs.
然而當時他的呼籲，美國政府也沒有理會……
據美國商業內幕網（Business Insider）報導，上周，共和黨參議員科裡·加德納致信美國貿易代表辦公室稱，擴大醫療用品的供應對控制美國疫情至關重要。
「要確保美國做好準備控制新冠疫情暴發，關鍵醫療商品的供給充沛至關重要。」
"To ensure that the United States is prepared to contain and combat the spread of this outbreak, it is crucial that there is a robust supply of critical medical products," Republican Senator Cory Gardner wrote in a letter to the USTR last week.
「我們必須做好應對醫療供應需求增長的準備，為此，我請求美國貿易代表辦公室取消對特定醫療用品加徵的有害關稅，消除進口障礙。」
"We must be prepared for increased medical supply demand in the United States, and to that end, I request that USTR eliminate these harmful tariffs on certain medical products and remove barriers to importation."
隨著疫情不斷升級，醫療防護用品短缺，現在美國政府終於開始採取措施了……
綜合來源：央視網，觀察者網，中國日報，CNBC, 紐約時報，金融時報，商業內幕網等