Humans of Reno: A Lab Worker Missing Subway while Dealing with Bodily Fluids and Fears of COVID-19
Jordan Buxton reports on a local worker for a toxicology lab surviving the pandemic.
Reduced Workload and Food Options
Leia Herring, 21, works for MD Labs, a Reno-based toxicology lab. They primarily focus on processing urine and saliva samples and examining them for UTIs, STIs and drug content.
Only working at MD labs for a couple of months, Herring is a lab assistant whose department is responsible for processing some 300 samples per day. Recently, due to complications involving COVID-19, the lab is now processing only one third of what they were before the pandemic, barely breaking 100 samples per day.
Working around bodily fluids is the least of Herring’s worries. One of Reno’s largest medical labs, MD Labs receive samples from all over the country. As an experienced lab, they are used to working with and responsibly handling hazardous material, including drug contaminated samples and bodily fluids containing STIs and UTIs.
Extra Precautions but Still Worried
“We wear full-face shields now,” Herring said. “That’s really the only change I’ve seen.”
Working during coronavirus has Herring worried about her personal health, and her future job.
“We work in a small space and we all have to be be at least six feet apart so that’s challenging. You have to trust coworkers to not be irresponsible with themselves, their health and their safety,” Herring said.
The sample count continues to drop, and with fewer samples, there is less work. More of Herring’s coworkers are sent home as the workload continues to shrink. According to Herring, as more doctor’s offices close their doors to patients, more consultations are done over the phone, or online. Less in-person consultations mean fewer samples, and fewer samples mean less work.
Problems in Getting Samples to Work On
Getting samples to the lab has also been a problem. While MD Labs does provide their services to the Reno community, many of their samples come in from out of state. Although the toxicology lab is considered an essential business, shipping companies are prioritizing shipments of essential items, such as toilet paper, food and sanitization products, meaning more and more samples are arriving late.
Herring is happy at her job but is worried about what she will do if the lab closes or if they run out of work for her. Layoffs continue across the city of Reno and the state of Nevada, and for Herring, like many others, there are not very many other employment options.
“My favorite Subway closed,” Herring said. Many fast food locations without drive-through options were forced to close. Herring has eaten at that same Subway almost every shift since she started her job.
Despite all the shutdowns, layoffs, and the uncertainty of the future, Herring does her best to stay positive.
“I think about it, and I have a job, I have food, I have a place to stay, and I don’t have coronavirus,” Herring said. “Things could be worse, but we’ll make it through this.”
