In light of the global pandemic, viruses have been in the news and on our mind – and while it certainly has brought viruses into the spotlight, they actually existed 3.5 billion years before humans evolved on Earth! Viruses are also most numerous microbes on earth – there are more viruses than bacteria and there are more viruses than all forms of life put together, including humans and animals!
Aside from COVID-19, there are many more viruses that medical interpreters may encounter: from HIV and HPV to measles and hepatitis. I put these resources together to supplement a class I developed (Virology for Medical Interpreters), but this blog post can be used a standalone resource to help medical interpreters learn more about virology, viruses and diseases they can cause, as well as how these diseases can be prevented and/or treated.
Glossaries: Viruses and Virology
- 25 virology terms to help you understand outbreaks, from the common cold to COVID-19
- Coronavirus: Glossary of Common Terms
- Glossary of Virology Terms from History of Vaccines
- HIV & AIDS Glossary
- Vaccines & Immunizations Glossary from CDC
About Viruses
Vaccinations and Treatments
- How do vaccines work? What is Herd Immunity? – World Health Organization. Available in العربية, 中文, Français, Русский, Español, Português
- Vaccine Factsheets in multiple languages – I counted almost 50 different languages! Click on a language to see which factsheets are available
- Vaccines – Multiple Languages from MedlinePlus
- Antivirals, or Antiviral medication
- Infection Treatment Medicine
- Monoclonal antibodies as COVID treatment
Infection Control and Interpreter Safety
- Free Webinar: Infection Control and Industrial Safety for Medical Interpreters
- The Precautions that Help Protect Hospital Interpreters from COVID-19
- Masks, Eye Protection (and more) for On-Site Medical Interpreters During COVID-19
- Isolation Education For Interpreters | Seattle Children’s Hospital
Common Viral Diseases
- Viral Diseases 101
- Chickenpox
- COVID-19: What You Need to Know: Free Course (3 hours)
- COVID-19 Multilingual Resources including Vaccine Fact Sheets
- Everything You Need to Know About Infectious mononucleosis (Mono)
- German Measles (Rubella)
- Everything You Need to Know About Shingles
- Everything You Need to Know About the Measles
- Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- HIV Basics
- Polio
Educational Videos (watch right on this page)
This is a selection of videos from TedEd – if you go to the website, you can also find quizzes for each of these videos!
References
- Crawford, D. H. (2018). Viruses: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Doyle, K. (2021, August 16). Which came First: The virus or the host? Promega Connections. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.promegaconnections.com/which-came-first-the-virus-or-the-host/
- Roossinck, M. (2016). Virus: An illustrated guide to 100 incredible microbes. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Zimmer, C. (2013, February 20). An Infinity of Viruses. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/02/20/an-infinity-of-viruses/
The Medical Interpreter Blog 
Thank you so very much! This is awesome, amazing Thank you for sharing, so generous of you Take care,
~Lourdes L Cerna, CMI, CHI- Spanish
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Lourdes, it is my pleasure! I am so glad you think this is useful!
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