Spanish Vocabulary for the Coronavirus Pandemic
Our day-to-day life has been upended with COVID-19. While it would be nice to just ignore it and have it all go away, that is not our current reality. Many of us, including myself, have felt helpless in this situation. It recently dawned on me that while I am not a medical provider, I am a Spanish teacher that can compile a list of Spanish vocabulary for those providing care to Coronavirus/COVID-19 patients in order to help bridge the communication gap. Please print out this list to share with others who may need it. If I missed any that you need, please leave me a message below and I will be sure to add it right away! If you would like a structured course to improve your Spanish, click here to learn about our self-paced or instructor-led online Medical Spanish courses.
The Noun "Coronavirus"
The word coronavirus, just like the Spanish word virus, is the same in singular or plural forms in Spanish. For example:
el coronavirus, el virus
los coronavirus, los virus
Coronavirus is a masculine noun made up of two words: corona, meaning crown, and virus, meaning virus. There is no need for spaces or hyphens as it is just one word.
General Nouns
Let's start out with some common nouns when talking about Coronavirus or COVID-19. All of the following vocabulary lists will be organize by first in English, followed by Spanish, and then a phonetic pronunciation of the Spanish word. ¡Vamos!
coronavirus = el coronavirus
COVID-19 = COVID-19
outbreak = el brote
pandemic = la pandemia
quarantine = la cuarentena
social distance = la distancia social
test = la prueba
crisis = la crisis
disinfectant = el desinfectante
hand sanitizer = el desinfectante para manos
emergency = la emergencia
hotspot (site with multiple cases of infection) = el foco de contagios
infection = la infección
isolation = el aislamiento
mask = la mascarilla
negative test = la prueba negativa
people who have no symptoms (asymptomatic) = las personas asintomáticas
person-to-person transmission = la transmisión secundaria
positive test = la prueba positiva
preventative isolation = el aislamiento preventivo
risk of infection = el riesgo de infección
self-isolation = el aislamiento en su domicilio
sickness/disease = la enfermedad
soap = el jabón
transmission = la transmisión
General Verbs
The following verbs are in the "infinitive" form - meaning that they haven't yet been changed according to the subject.
to breathe
respirar
to clean
limpiar
to cough
toser
to cover
cubrir
to have
tener
to isolate
aislarse
to need
necesitar
to separate yourself
mantener alejado
to sneeze
estornudar
to maintain a social distance (of 6 feet)
mantener un distanciamiento físico (de seis pies)
to wash
lavar
Hygiene
Using some of the verbs above, these phrases have been conjugated so that you are able to use them for your patients and their families.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day.
Limpie todos los días todas las superficies de contacto frecuente.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Cúbrase la nariz y la boca al toser y estornudar.
Separate yourself from other people in your home.
Manténgase alejado de otras personas en su casa.
Wash your hands often.
Lávese las manos con frecuencia.
Wear a mask.
Use una mascarilla.
Symptoms
Now it is time to ask our patients about their symptoms. Here are some of the more common phrases that you may see patients come in with.
Do you have...
¿Tiene...?
a cold
un catarro, un resfrío
body aches
dolores de cuerpo
chills
escalofríos
cough
tos
diarrhea
diarrea
difficulty breathing
dificultad para respirar
dry cough
tos seca
fatigue
cansancio
fever
fiebre
flu-like symptoms
síntomas similares a los de la gripe
headache
dolor de cabeza
light symptoms
sintomas leves
nausea
náuseas
productive cough
flemas
runny nose (formal)
secreción nasal
runny nose (informal)
moqueo
shortness of breath
falta de aire
sore throat
dolor de garganta
stuffy nose
nariz tapada
vomiting
vómitos
Phrases
After you learn of the patient's symptoms, you may need to say some of the following symptoms when talking about the next steps.
I’m going to perform a test for COVID-19
Voy a hacer una prueba para COVID-19
I’m going to swab your nose/the back of your throat with this cotton bud.
Voy a tomar una muestra de la nariz/garganta con este hisopo de algodón.
The results will be ready in ... hours/days.
Los resultados estarán listos en ... horas/dias.
We have received the test results.
Tenemos los resultados de las pruebas de laboratorio.
You have tested positive/negative for COVID-19.
La prueba de COVID-19 salió positiva/negativa.
Your symptoms are not typical of COVID.
Sus síntomas no son típicos del COVID.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Once the tests have come back, now you can give your patients a diagnosis and treatments options.
You have...
Tiene...
coronavirus
el/los coronavirus
pneumonia
neumonía
an infection in the lungs
una infección en los pulmones
a respiratory virus
un virus respiratorio
the flu
el gripe (la gripa-Mexico)
a cold
un catarro/un resfrío
You need...
Necesita...
antiviral treatment
un tratamiento antiviral
supportive care/palliative care
cuidados paliativos
intensive care unit
una unidad de cuidados intensivos
You have to remain isolated at home ... days.
Es necesario que se quede en casa, en aislación ... días.
Do not leave your house.
No salga de su casa.
If your symptoms worsen, seek medical attention immediately.
Si los síntomas se agraven, busque ayuda médica de inmediato.
Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.
Tome mucho líquido para permanecer hidratado.
You need to look out for any difficulty with breathing. If this happens, seek medical attention.
Hay que estar alerta si siente una dificultad para respirar. En este caso, busque ayuda médica de inmediato.
Statistics and Conditions
You see the numbers and statistics daily. Let's see how to express those in Spanish.
number of infected
suma de infectados
those affected
los afectados
those admitted to the hospital
los ingresados
recovered
los recuperados
dead
muerto, fallecido
M
serious condition
situación clínica grave
critical state
estado crítico
Miscellaneous Phrases
Finally, I have some other questions and phrases that you may find useful.
Have you been in close contact with someone who is known to have COVID-19?
¿Ha estado en contacto cercano con una persona que se sepa que tiene el COVID-19?
Do you have health insurance?
¿Tiene seguro médico?
Do you need us to contact your family?
¿Necesita que contactemos con su familia?
There was a possible exposure.
Había una posible exposición.
There is no vaccine for COVID.
No hay vacuna contra el COVID.
Stay home.
Quédese en casa
Last but not least...
I hope you found these Spanish vocabulary words and phrases helpful as you continue to help your Spanish-speaking patients. Thank you for all that you are doing!
