Working during Covid19: A Healthcare Scientist’s Blog

By Deborah Lakeland, Lancs & South Cumbria Cancer Alliance Genomics Project Manager, CSOWISE Aspiring Leader, BSc LIBMS, Reading MSc Genomic Medicine at the University of Manchester

A new ‘normal’

Many Healthcare Scientists like myself from collaborating Pathology disciplines across several regional Trusts, volunteered to operate outside the scope of their regular practice, and devote their workdays and nights to Preston Microbiology’s newly formed COVID Team. As part of this team, I now apply the specialist skills I have acquired over many years, to benefit thousands of patients presenting with severe respiratory illness suspected of being COVID disease. Instead of extracting DNA from human genomes as before, I am now extracting RNA from coronavirus. I have also undertaken statistical analysis of regional coronavirus tests monitoring infection rates and immune responses, which informs the UK’s national database.

To read the full article, please visit Deborah’s blog: https://borahlakeland.blogspot.com/2020/06/responding-to-covid-crisis.html