Translators without Borders on COVID-19

March 19, 2020

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and far too many of you will be in communities already affected by the virus.

You have all, I hope, heard how the virus spreads and know what precautions to take. I am also linking some slides and posters we have translated with International SOS recently.

Really, it’s pretty simple:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Rinse-lather-rinse!
Avoid touching your face.
If you are ill or feeling ill, don’t go out. Even if you’ll be ok, you might infect someone. Be nice to others.

The New York Times is providing free access to updates and guidance on the global situation. And the J ohns Hopkins interactive map is interesting.

REMEMBER: information is key! There are daily, if not hourly, changes, so please stay informed.

Many of you in the TWB translator community are working very hard to help us get COVID-19 information messages out quickly and accurately. THANK YOU! From me, from our partners and from the thousands of people who can get reliable information thanks to you.

COVID-19 is a double-edged sword for an organization like TWB. Not only does it impact our personal lives, but people need our work more than ever!

Here’s what TWB is doing:

Language data and mapping: We are developing interactive maps that show which languages people speak and their literacy levels. Those maps help our partners develop communication plans.

Translation: We are translating essential public awareness content. Initially, we translated into Chinese (simplified and traditional), Thai, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesian, Tagalog, Korean, Japanese, Malay, Myanmar (Burmese), Hindi, and Bangla. But as the disease spreads and needs emerge elsewhere we constantly broaden the languages we offer.

Social media monitoring: We are monitoring social media channels for misinformation and myths about COVID-19. This helps our partners to develop and distribute the factual information that people need.

How you can get involved:

Translation projects (of course): We post our COVID-19 translation requests on Kató Platform. Log in and see if there are tasks for your language combinations.

Translation teams: If you can contribute on a more regular basis, let us know your availability here. This will make communication and organization much easier.

Spread the word: Tell your network that you are helping TWB respond to this crisis. Here are example posts that you can use.

Terminology database: We are identifying terminology that people use to talk about COVID-19 as well as identifying commonly used COVID-19 technical terms. If you would like to get involved let us know via this form.

Take care of yourself!

You are all doing incredible work under difficult circumstances. Many have already been quarantined. You may have friends or relatives who cannot go out or who need special care. You may be immunocompromised or have other health concerns. All of this can be stressful. Here are a few suggestions from our team to cope with this situation:

Learn a(nother!) language. Duolingo is free.
It’s important to establish a “new normal” routine especially if you have children and you’re stuck at home for a few weeks. This website is a bit “survivalist” in nature, but has some good ideas. And here are some ideas on “special” stuff you can do with your kids.
There are a bunch of apps to help you sleep and rest your mind. We like Headspace.
There’s a tendency to work ALL the time. It’s worse with quarantine. Please step away from your computer, turn off your social media. Take time to restart your workout routine, do some gardening, schedule virtual lunches or aperitivo (At TWB, we have already started).
Here’s a video of puppies, just because we want to make you smile.

We will all experience some stress during this period of unknowns, sickness, and overwhelming (often contradictory) information. Refer to the WHO website, laugh often and be aware of what others are experiencing. Talk to other people. Tell them if you are down; sharing helps.

Take care of yourself and your family. It’s going to be a long few weeks and months… stay well!

Best,
Aimee
Executive Director, Translators without Borders