The UK has been living in lockdown for over a month, Covid-19 has become our reality and most aspects of our lives have changed in order to prevent the spread.
Through these uncertain times we have seen an upsurge in kindness, appreciation and gratitude for those on the front line, doing all they can for us and our loved ones. Individuals are utilising their skills to ensure the world outside of the virus is becoming a better place, we are working together for the greater good and for each other. Every act of kindness is amplified through our unity to fight against these unprecedented times and media outlets are highlighting and praising local communities for their efforts to protect the most vulnerable.
We are getting new advice daily and are reacting accordingly but what about those who do not have the means to do so? As we clap every Thursday for our wonderful carers, have we imagined their headspace in these current times? They are looking after the most vulnerable, all from different walks of life, different cultures and suffering various ailments. Their job is vast, to care, to comfort and to support, their resources are sparse but here at Beaucare we are ensuring they are supplied with what they need.
The patients themselves must feel isolated and scared, they are not allowed visitors, their usual routines may differ whilst the news they hear affects them directly. What about those, where English is not their first language? They will have an idea of events going on, their family will tell them as much as they can, but they are not present for constant assurance. The biggest worry is that information may be lost in translation and misunderstood.
According to Carers UK, as of 2019 there is 8.8 million adult carers in the UK, of those 17% are not of British nationality, Eu residents make up 8%, whilst non-EU residents make up 9% (SkillsforCarers). This shows that at least 17% are bi-lingual (or multi-lingual) and English may not be their preferred language, understandably their skills are being utilised and their communication is valued but where can they reference and verify government guidelines if they’re not confident?
The Doctors of the World organisation in partnership with The British Red Cross have translated NHS Covid-19 advice into 51 languages. They have understood the importance of language and the written word to ensure the advice remains the same and can be referenced.
The languages translated are:
English, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Czech, Dari, Estonian, Farsi, Filipino, French, German. Greek, Gujarati, Hausa, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Kiswahili, Korean, Krio, Kurdish Sorani, Latvian, Lithuanian, Oromo, Malayalam, Nepali, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Sindhi, Slovak, Spanish, Somali, Tamil, Tetum, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wolof, Yiddish.
The advice outlines:
- What is Covid-19
- What individuals can do in the government enforced lockdown
- Symptoms
- Highlighting high risk individuals and how to protect them
- What to do regarding suspected cases
- When and how to contact the NHS
If you are a carer, have a family member in care or know anyone who can benefit from this information please visit: https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/coronavirus-information/#
The number of translations is increasing, and the information is free and readily available. If you require any PPE (personal protection equipment) please visit: https://www.beaucare.com/medical-consumables/protective-clothing/healthcare-ppe
At Beaucare, the majority of our chemicals can have SDS/COSHH supplied in other languages if required. We have a great range of specialised healthcare cleaning chemicals providing a cost-effective, simplified solution to cleaning. Our cleaning range is NHS approved and specifically designed for use in care homes and other healthcare industries. Colour coded bottles minimise cross contamination and ensure that the right product is being used correctly.
We offer FREE training and support materials including pictograms giving easy-to-understand instructions on dilution amounts and where the product can be used. Please call us on
All information was correct at publishing date.