Medical Lab Technician Assistant

Healthcare Heroes: 3 Ways that Professionals with Medical Lab Tech Training Are Responding to COVID-19

June 22, 2020

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, medical laboratories around the world have had to adapt to stop the spread of this highly infectious virus. In Canada, medical laboratories are conducting thousands of coronavirus tests every day. Laboratories are even investing in additional staff and equipment to increase capacity and speed up the testing process. 

As part of a medical lab technician course, you will learn how to collect a sample and conduct routine lab tests and analyses, meaning you could play a crucial part in the fight against COVID-19 in the future.

Read on to find out three ways that medical lab technicians are tackling the global pandemic. 

Hiring New Staff Members with Medical Lab Tech Training to Meet Increased Demands 

COVID-19 has put increased pressure on almost all healthcare facilities. Hospitals, clinics, research facilities, and medical laboratories are all in need of additional trained healthcare workers to manage the increase in demand. Laboratories are hiring new staff, and some are even bringing back retired workers. 

“Our workload has increased dramatically, requiring the team to work especially hard,” said one manager at McGill University Health Centre. “In an effort to meet the ever-increasing demand, the laboratory is in the process of hiring extra help, including retired laboratory techs.”

The process of testing for COVID-19 can be labour-intensive and take several hours. It may take a lab 24 hours to actually run the test and then several days to deliver the results. After medical lab tech training, you could help them to meet this challenge. 

Medical laboratories are hiring new staff to cope with the outbreak of COVID-19

Technicians Are Working Extra Hours

In order to cope with the increased demand and conduct more tests, medical lab technicians are taking on additional shifts and working extra hours. Their hard work and dedication is helping to save the lives of many. 

COVID-19 has also demonstrated the importance of medical lab workers. They are essential to detecting and preventing the spread of infectious viruses like COVID-19. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of testing, as it is one of the only ways to contain the virus without a vaccine. 

Medical Lab Technicians are Wearing Protective Personal Equipment (PPE)

Graduates of medical lab tech courses may need to have direct contact with coronavirus patients when collecting samples. The test is normally conducted by inserting a swab into the cavity between the nose and the mouth. This sample is then tested for COVID-19.  

This means that medical lab technicians are on the front lines, risking their own lives to slow the spread of the virus. In order to protect themselves and others when collecting and testing samples, technicians need to make sure that they wear all the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes gloves, medical gowns, eye masks, and face masks. 

Medical lab technicians should wear PPE when collecting samples

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