Deaf hospital lab worker explains Covid-19 testing process
THE DAILY MOTH:
What does a Covid-19 test look like? How does a lab worker determine whether it is negative or positive? Cindy Meadows, who is a deaf lab supervisor at CalvertHealth Medical Center…
(Video clip of exterior of CalvertHealth Medical Center)
She will explain!
CINDY MEADOWS:
Hi! My name is Cindy Meadows. I am a certified medical technologist working at a hospital lab as a lab QA supervisor.
(Video clip of “Laboratory” sign)
The Covid-19 testing process varies from state to state all over the US depending on the manufacturer that made the test. Some tests provide results within 15 minutes while some results can be ready within 8 hours. It varies.
(Video clip of Oral/Throat swab and Nasal swab)
The lab receives the test with the swab of the cells. The cells are in a fluid called saline. The lab uses a pipette to put the saline into the cartridge.
(Video clip of lab worker working with a sample and a cartridge)
Then the cartridge is placed into a machine and the machine allows for the cells to float to the top of the fluid. Once the cells are floating, the saline is removed from the cartridge and the cells settle to the bottom. Then a reagent, a chemical solution, from the cartridge is poured over the cells. The reagent breaks up the cells to get to the ribonucleic acid, or RNA, that is inside each of the cells. The RNA inside the cells have amino acids, or proteins, all around them. The RNA in the cells identifies different viruses and many different things. The cartridge collects the RNA and then a dye is inserted within the cartridge. The dye helps color the RNA.
(Video clip of a cartridge being placed in a machine)
It is then moved to a window attached to the cartridge. The machine then uses a light to read the dyed RNA cells. The machine is looking for a specific color for COVID-19. If the machine does not detect that specific color, the test is negative. If the machine does detect that specific color, the test is positive. Then we report the results of the positive test to the State Health Department and say that we have a COVID-19 case.
THE DAILY MOTH:
It is very interesting to see the process. Meadows said all labs have different methods.
Now, Meadows will explain a major change in her hospital’s visitors policy because of Covid-19.
CINDY MEADOWS:
The only exceptions to allow visitors are birth mothers with their significant others; patients who are near the end of their lives can have visitors as long as they are not Covid-19 positive — if they are positive, they cannot have visitors; and children under the age of 18 can have adults accompany them. Only those visitors are allowed. The rest are barred from entry.
THE DAILY MOTH:
We see that it must be very tough for Covid-19 patients and their families because they cannot be together in person.
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Now, here are inspiring videos of patients who were discharged from the hospital after recovering from Covid-19. She also will show a cool event in which local first responders honored nurses at the hospital for their work.
(Video clip of nurses and healthcare staff applauding and cheering a patient who is exiting the hospital and gets in a white car that drives away)
CINDY MEADOWS:
We’re celebrating a patient being discharged from the hospital as a survivor of COVID-19. (CHEERING) It’s really cool and emotional.
(Video clips of signs and chalk drawing on sidewalk to honor healthcare workers and nurses. There is a helicopter lifting off with many first responder vehicles with their sirens on in a hospital parking lot)
All these people have come here to honor all of us front line workers. They’re here to help inspire us as well. They came from all over Calvert County to honor us.
THE DAILY MOTH:
Nice to see that the hospital is celebrating those who recover and that nurses are being recognized for their sacrifices.
Thank you, Cindy Meadows, for the clear explantation and showing us what it is like. Lab workers are front-line workers that are not always recognized. Thank you for your work and service.
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