��️ ‘We are overlooked and essential.’ Inside U-M’s COVID testing lab
Meredith Bruckner, Community News Producer, All About Ann Arbor
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Good morning!
Did you know that the US recently marked Medical Laboratory Professionals Week? I spoke with a medical technologist in Michigan Medicine’s microbiology department, who said that COVID completely transformed their day-to-day routine.
Cheryl Kubisiak said that prior to the pandemic, she and her colleagues were conducting viral and bacterial tests for the hospital. Already no small feat, she said that nothing could have prepared them for the sudden spike in demand for COVID testing.
“We went up about 70% in our testing volume,” said Kubisiak, whose lab shifted to a 24-hour schedule to accommodate the time sensitive tests. “It’s just demanding. You just go from morning until night and then you’re just dead when you leave.”