The assessment of the current situation, recommendations, challenges, and conduct guidelines for medical interpreters at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract

The paper addresses the underlying complexities and phenomena arising in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, and pertaining to interpreting. The pandemic-related neologisms are introduced, followed by practical guidelines for medical interpreters and the assessment of the problems and challenges encountered in the current mode of work, including (remote) community interpreting. The impact of the pandemic on medical interpreters is also discussed with the associated problems which are also related to the wellbeing of the interpreters themselves at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To fully comprehend the real value of services provided by medical interpreters, it is necessary to assess the health outcomes and the quality of life of patients in longitudinal studies conducted on large cohorts of patients, with particular attention to at least several months of follow-up.