The hours spent inside the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suffocates Alex (name changed) much lesser than the distance that he is forced to maintain from his family, whenever he manages to go home. A lab technician at the COVID-19 test facility at the Government Medical College in Kozhikode, his daily shift stretches to 12 hours these days, compared to half that in normal times.
He is part of the legion of lab technicians and research analysts, who work away from the spotlight, even as the whole State waits with bated breath every evening for their analyses to be announced at the Chief Minister’s daily press conferences.
“Once we get inside the PPE, we cannot drink water, eat anything or go to the toilet until we remove it, at least four hours later. We have to be careful even in removing it, as a slight mistake can lead to contamination,” says Alex.
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From morning
Their work begins around 8 a.m., with the unboxing of the triple-layered packing of throat swab samples. Followed by sorting and quality check of the samples, the Ribo Nucleic Acid (RNA) is extracted. Later, research analysts carry out the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for DNA amplification to detect the presence of the virus.
Amid this, the technicians have to do a lot of clerical work, including the labelling and inventory of samples, and the amount of the costly reagent used.
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“It is a work which requires utmost precision and concentration over long hours. If the sample quality is not good, it will affect the PCR results,” says Anitha (name changed), a research analyst.
They all work with the knowledge that one misstep can lead to them contacting the virus from the samples. Random COVID-19 tests are carried out on one person from the team every week. It is a testimony to the safety standards that none have been tested positive in any of the State’s labs till now.
Without leave
Most of them have not taken a leave in more than a month, while only a few go home after duty, with the rest staying back at the official accommodation. Even when they go home, they have to keep distance from the family, and sleep alone in a different room, like Alex does. Those who have children or old relatives at home have to take special care.
“The ones working in the non-COVID-19 labs also have to handle samples of COVID-19 patients to check their other health parameters. They do not wear PPEs, and make do with masks and gloves. They check the samples of other patients too, and have to be extremely careful. As long as there is no community outbreak, they can continue that way,” says Arun Shankar, advisor of the Clinical Laboratory Professionals Association.