Interpreters in Hospitals
Latinos make up nearly half of all confirmed coronavirus cases in California and nearly a quarter in Illinois.
In New York City, more than a third of all COVID-19 victims are Hispanic. Some of these people have limited English skills, and hospitals use interpreters to help these people communicate with their staff.
Many hospitals rely on third-party services that provide remote phone or video interpretation. However, some hospitals prioritize in-person interpretation. COVID-19 patients cannot speak very loudly, and there are fans and machines in the rooms, which makes remote interpretation very difficult.
Interpreters can comfort patients who are feeling sick and do not always understand what is happening to them. There are hundreds of interpreters in US hospitals who put their own health at risk to assist patients who have been isolated from friends and families due to the coronavirus.
Difficult words: Latino (a person who comes from Latin America), prioritize (to say what is the most important to do), comfort (to make someone calm).