12 Feb The role of medical translation in pandemics like the Coronavirus

Medical translation and medical interpretation are key weapons in the academic, scientific and medical research battle against global pandemics such as the Coronavirus. Medical translation agencies such as Okomeds can provide translation services relating to information about this virus, how it is affecting the Chinese people and how medicine can prevent it from spreading.

What should you know about the Coronavirus?

The coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause anything from the common cold to death. For those old enough to remember the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) viral outbreak of 2002, that particular viral pandemic was also the result of a virus from the coronavirus family. Thus, the more relevant question may be “What kind of virus is the current coronavirus coming out from China?”.

The virus currently creating such a global stir is a “novel-coronavirus” according to the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, that organization reports that not much is known about this particular strain of the novel coronavirus. It appears that the current novel coronavirus may be contracted through very close human contact, such as that between a caregiver and their patient. However, it is not yet known if this spread is sufficient to then allow the healthcare workers to spread the virus on to other patients within their care.

The important role of medical translators

The medical implications of such a potential spread are worrying, as are the social and economic costs. What will be the full cost of the current novel coronavirus? Right now, nobody can be certain. What is certain, however, is that translation services will be an integral part of the solution. Scientists, medical professionals and researchers who need to share data as accurately, quickly and efficiently as possible will use human translation services to achieve that.