Te 'Gana Tuvalu, or the Tuvaluan language is the main native language that is spoken in Tuvalu. The Tuvaluan language is one of the Polynesian languages and is most closely related to the languages of Tokelau and Samoa. The strong Polynesian connection in the language dates back to the 1860s when Samoan pastors of the London Missionary Society began to convert the islanders to Christianity, using the Samoan language in their preaching, singing and prayers.

Tuvalu is a small country of approximately 12,000 people, with a few other Tuvaluans spread out across the world. Tuvalu has 9 small islands. 8 of which use the Tuvaluan language except one, Nui island. People from Nui are known as the Nuians and they speak the Nuian language, which is a dialect that is very similar to the I-Kiribati language. Most Nuians are now bilingual in their own vernacular and in the Tuvaluan language, but there is still a small portion of Nuians, that reside permanently on Nui island, who find difficulty speaking the Tuvaluan language fluently.

For more information regarding COVID-19, or whether you want to share some materials on this page in the Tuvaluan language about COVID-19 or other topics, please do contact me via email: ataufilo@gmail.com

Editor: Dr Aloima Taufilo-Teatu

1: SEA TE COVID-19?

Ate COVID-19 kote masaki 'pisi tela e maafua mai ite vaelesi 'fou ne toa maua, e igoa kite SARS-CoV-2. Ate vaelesi 'fou tenei, ne maua i Wuhan, se tasi o fa'kai lasi iloto ite fenua o Saina, ite tausaga e 2019.

Mai sukesukega o taagata 'poto i mea tau vaelesi, ne maua atu me ite vaelesi 'fou tenei ne mafua mai ilalo ote matakaaiga o vaelesi e igoa ki Kalauna vaelesi (Corona Viruses). E isi se pogai ne fakaigoa kite Kalauna (Corona) vaelesi, ona ko foliga o latou. Ka 'kilo fakalei tatou ki foliga ote kalauna vaelesi, ka lavea ne taaua me ite vaelesi tenei e ufi ki tala io me ko mea makaikai, e foliga loa pela me se fou kalauna (Ata fakaasi ote Kalauna vaelesi mo fakatusaaga e mafai o maua mai ilalo ote itulau pepa tenei).

Nea fakaasiga ote COVID-19?

Ate manu/vaelasi ote masaki tenei kote COVID-19 e lasi tena fakamaseiga ki maamaa (lungs) o tatou. Ona ko maamaa e pokotia malosi, ka maua ei a fakaasiga pela mote 'tale, pu gaegae io me maanava fiita, 'vela kae 'mae te kato. Ona la ite COVID-19 se masaki fou, tela la a sukesukega kite masaki koi fai loa i fenua 'lasi. Kae mai iluga i sukesukega konei, ne toe isi foki ne fakaasiga 'fou ne maua atu mai lipoti o fenua ne pokotia ne te COVID-19, fakaasiga pela mote 'sana, 'mae fatafata ona me ite fakamaseiga ko oko kite fatu, pena foki mote galo te mafai ote masaki o sogi (smell) io me tami (taste) ana meakai.

Kooi e pokotia malosi ite masaki kote COVID-19?

A te masaki kote COVID-19 e lasi tena pokotiaga masei ki luga i tino penei:
- tino maatua kola ko 65 tausaga ki luga
- latou kola e sukaa, toto maluga, masakiga o fatu
- pena foki mo latou kola e maa'saki ki olotou maamaa, e.g. TB, gaegae (asthma)
- mo latou kola e maua ne te kenisa (cancer)

Nea auala e mafai ei o 'pisi te COVID-19?

Masaua i manu/vaelesi ote masaki tenei e ola iloto i 'tou maamaa/kato. Tela la, kafai a kita e tale io me mafatua kae se 'pono fakalei tena gutu/isu ma tale/mafatua, ka mafai ei o 'pisi ki tua a tama motiga suavale konei e isi ne manu/vaelesi iloto.

Konei la auala e mafai o 'pisi ei te masaki tenei:
1. Kafai se 'pono 'tou isu/gutu ma 'tale/mafatua i mua o niisi tino
2. Pateletele ki kogaakoga e isi ne motiga suavale ote tino masaki, kae toe pateletele koe ki ou mata, gutu, isu.

2: NEA AKU MEA E 'TAU O FAI KE PUIPUI AU MAI ITE COVID-19?

E mafai o puipui koe mo tou kaaiga ke moa e pokotia ne te COVID-19 ma tautali koe ki auala konei:

1. Fulu faka'lei ou lima ke 'maa ki VAI mo SOOPU
   Kaia? Ko oti ne fakamaonia mai sukesukega me ite soopu e ofa neia ate 'pui ote kalauna vaelesi, mate foki loa iei te vaelesi

2. Tu faka'mao kise 'mao e 2 mita mai te sua tino i sose koga e fano koe kiei
   Kaia? Sose tino e tale, mafatua io me faipati, e isi faeloa ne motiga suavale e 'to mai ki tua. Tela la, kafai koe e tu pili (<2mita) kite tino e maua ne te masaki kote COVID-19, ka mafai o maanava ne koe ana motiga suavale, pokotia foki loa koe ite masaki kote COVID-19

3. Faka'mao mai koga e tokouke a tino e maopopo iei
   Kaia? Kafai e isi se tino e maua ne te COVID-19, e faigofie te faka'pisi neia te vaelasi ki sua tino tu pili kiei. Tela la, ka faka'mao koe mai koga penei, kote sao foki koe mai te masaki kote COVID-19

4. Se pateletele ki ou mata, tou isu mo tou gutu
   Kaia? Masaua i 'tou lima e pateletele fua ki sose mea/kogaakoga lailai tela e fonu i vaelesi ote COVID-19. Tela la, ka toe paa'tele tatou ki 'tou mata/isu/gutu, ko mafai ei o ulu te kalauna vaelesi ki loto i 'tou foitino.

5. E 'tau o fakaaoga ne koe (pena foki mo sose tino i ou tafa), a auala tuuma kafai koe tale io me mafatua. Auala tuuma pela mote tale/mafatua kite fatigaa o tou lima (bent elbow), tale ki loto ise pepa (tissue) kae masaua o 'pei kite kaiga ma oti ne fakaaoga, kae fakataaua loa ke fulu faeloa ou lima ki vai mo soopu ma oti koe ne tale/mafatua.
   Kaia? Ate kalauna vaelesi e ola iloto i motiga suavale. Tela la, kafai e fakatumau ne koe te tuumaa i sose taimi, e mafai ne koe o puipui koe mo tou kaaiga mai ite masaki kote COVID-19.

6. Nofo i tou fale tokotasi fakaatea mai tino kafai e isi ne fakaasiga ote COVID-19 ia koe, ke oko loa kite taimi ko lei ei koe
   Kaia? Ka nofo koe tokotasi fakatea mai tino, ka puipui ne koe tou kaaiga mo sose tino ke moaa e maua ne te COVID-19.

7. Kafai koe 'vela, taletale, gaegae, fakaaoga ne koe te TELEFONI o fesokotaki kite fakai masaki ke avatu ne Tokita/Neesi a fautuaga ki luga ite koga e tau o fano koe kiei, mea e tau o fai ne koe koi tuai o ulu koe ki tua mai tou fale.
   Kaia? E isi ne fakatokatokaga ote Matagaluega ote Ola 'lei ki tulaga penei, ke mafai o fakafoliki te 'pisi ote masaki tenei.

3: VITIO MO ATA E FAKAMATALA IEI TE MASAKI KOTE COVID-19

A vitio mo ata konei mai ilalo e mafai o fesoasoani ke maaina koulua ite masaki tenei kote COVID-19. Kafai e isi ne lua fesili fia maaina iluga loa ite masaki tenei, fakamolemole ke fesokotasi mai koulua kiaau io me kote Matagaluega ote Ola 'lei ke mafai o fesoasoani atu matou. Te mea taaua ke tasi katoa te 'tou mainaaga ki luga ite masaki fakamataku tenei.