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Communication Guide by VitalTalk.orgPruebas para todosTardan en dar los resultadosLos famosos se hacen pruebas¿Por qué no voy al hospital?Un lugar de riesgoRelated Lessons











In this lesson, we learn how to answer difficult questions about testing and triage for COVID19 in Spanish. The questions and responses from this lesson are adapted from VitalTalk.org. As many of you know, I am a hospitalist doc in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was supposed to be in Guatemala right now. Instead, I am on backup call for my hospital. Due to the fine leadership by our state’s governor, our numbers remain relatively low and they do not need me yet. Therefore, I will use this time to make lessons that I hope will help us all communicate with our Spanish-speaking neighbors and patients about COVID19.Please check out and share our free lessons covering Spanish for COVID 19.Special thanks to: Elizabeth Cortez, my Spanish teacher at the San Pedro Spanish School in Guatemala and my dear friend, Sonja Um Siri, for their help making these lessons.Communication Guide by VitalTalk.org0:59Due to all the uncertainty that surrounds the COVID19 pandemic, we are facing many difficult questions from patients and family that often have no easy answers. Therefore, in today’s lesson, we are going to practice answering some of these challenging questions in Spanish.These questions and answers in this lesson are adapted from a guide created by VitalTalk.org. VitalTalk is a social nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington that provides communications tips for providers working with patients with serious illness. They have created a guide for speaking to patients and their family members about COVID19.Pruebas para todos2:11¿Por qué no hacen pruebas a todos?No tenemos suficientes pruebas para todos. Desearía que fuera diferente.hacer/realizar pruebasto test¿Por qué no hacen pruebas a todos?Why aren’t they testing everybody?No tenemos suficientes kits/pruebas para todos.We don’t have enough test kits/tests.Desearía que fuera diferente.I wish it were different.OJO: conditional (desearía)  > imperfect subjunctive (fuera)Tardan en dar los resultados3:36¿Por qué tardan tanto en dar los resultados?El laboratorio va tan rápido como puede.  Sé que es difícil esperar.tardarto take (time), to delayOJO: tardar en + infinitivo¿Por qué tardan tanto en dar los resultados?Why do the tests take so long?el laboratoriothe labEl laboratorio va tan rápido como puede.The lab is going as fast as it can.Sé que es difícil esperar.I know it’s hard to wait.Los famosos se hacen pruebas4:55¿Por qué los famosos se hacen la prueba tan rápido?Desconozco los detalles, pero puedo decirle que estamos en un momento diferente. La situación está cambiando tan rápidamente que lo que hacíamos hace una semana no es lo que hacemos hoy.hacerse la pruebato get testedlos famosos, las celebridadescelebrities¿Por qué los famosos se hacen la prueba tan rápido?Why do celebrities get tested so quickly?