Those days as a nucleic acid sampler

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▪ “I remember once I was in charge of checking the nucleic acid testing work, when a reagent tube slipped from which shelf, and fortunately it was found in time, otherwise the test reagents of the next 40,000 tubes would have to be redone.” End of nucleic acid detection work, back to the biopharmaceutical company Chen Yu said, “Now everything turned over, remember those nights in the laboratory, I think we also counted to pay their own efforts.”

▪ Before starting work, volunteers like Wang Jin need to undergo several training sessions, and each training session will have a corresponding assessment, all of which will be passed before they can start work. “You have participated in the Tianjin new coronavirus nucleic acid sampling training and passed the assessment, to obtain the Tianjin new coronavirus nucleic acid sampling induction qualification, hereby issued this certificate!” Wang Jin received a certificate that reads. Wang Jin recalled, “We probably trained for about half a month before we started.” The entire workflow is supervised by experienced staff to avoid any mistakes.

The company’s main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers. The service is also not others, is our parents, neighbors, friends, at that time look at the shortage of manpower, just think can help a little is a little, do not want anything.” At the end of the interview, Wang Jin looked at his nucleic acid testing training certificate, “I hope this thing will not come in handy again!” Wang Jin hopes that life will return to normal, society no longer needs nucleic acid testing volunteers.

“Today is the last day of class, nucleic acid era has passed, goodbye!”

“Quit, did most of the nucleic acid sampler, pay cuts, overtime, no weekends, feel there is always stabbing the endless throat ……”

Looking back on the days of nucleic acid testing, the former nucleic acid sampler and tester had mixed feelings.

At 1:00 at night, the nucleic acid sampler climbed the stairs layer by layer to collect nucleic acid.

No longer carry out full nucleic acid screening, nucleic acid samplers face re-selection

On January 8, Shenzhen’s drizzling rain, Ji Lin (a pseudonym) said goodbye to her colleagues and shut down the nucleic acid sampling booth, where she had worked for 10 months, and she was about to embark on a journey to choose another career.

In March 2022, Ji Lin left the rehabilitation department of a hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, and became a full-time nucleic acid sampler from a nurse. Ji Lin explained that the monthly salary of a nucleic acid sampler can range from 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. “The work of a nucleic acid sampler is very tiring, but I wanted to earn more money and left the hospital.”

When she first came into contact with nucleic acid sampling work, although she had a professional background as a nurse, Ji Lin also had moments when she faced a breakdown. From 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., she had to do thousands of nucleic acid samples every day. One day at 10 p.m., Ji Lin received a temporary assignment to do nucleic acid for 20 people in an urban village before 12 p.m. “I had just arrived.

“At that time, I had just arrived, and I was very unfamiliar with the village, so I got lost while walking. At that time, I was anxious, scared and helpless, and watched the time pass by second by second, and cried out with a wow.”

Despite the hard work, the relatively high salary allowed Ji Lin to gradually adapt to her new position.

“The community will be tested as often as they wish, and no more full-scale nucleic acid screening will be conducted.

Demand for social nucleic acid sampling began to decline, and Ji Lin noticed a significant delay in payroll.

“I figured it would be better if this ended sooner rather than later.” Ji Lin said, “I plan to get a high level title certificate and then a teaching certificate, and if I get these two certificates later I am going to go to graduate school.”

Nucleic acid testers in the laboratory to extract the samples collected that day.

“The most fear of retesting”, staying up late in the laboratory is the norm

Nucleic acid testers part of the choice “from where to go back to where”. Chen Yu (a pseudonym), who once worked for a biopharmaceutical company, returned to his original position. Unlike Ji Lin who needs to sample outside, in his memory, the days of nucleic acid testing, is a night in the laboratory.

“I originally worked in a biopharmaceutical company, and when the epidemic was serious last June, I quit my original job and became a nucleic acid tester in Beijing because I had a certificate from a bioassay lab and was more familiar with the related business.”

Chen Yu told the Health Times that many colleagues around him had resigned to do nucleic acid testing, “on the one hand because of the higher salary, on the other hand, I still hope to be able to contribute in special moments.”

Chen Yu’s job is to collect the samples and test them in the laboratory. No need to run out to sample, but the pace is fast and high intensity. “At that time at least 10 hours a day, an hour of 100 yuan, sometimes busy to 15 or 16 hours. This is a very test of physical strength, endurance work.”

Chen Yu recalls, “Once I was responsible for checking the nucleic acid testing work, when a reagent tube slipped off from which shelf, fortunately it was found in time, otherwise the test reagents of the next 40,000 tubes would have to be redone. Because the whole nucleic acid testing process is interlinked, a mistake in one link will have to be redone.”

Chen Yu, who finished his work in nucleic acid testing and returned to the biopharmaceutical company, said, “Now everything has turned over and they are receding like a tide. Thinking about all those nights spent in the lab, I think we’ve put in our effort.”

Nucleic acid sampler resting on his desk at noon.

“No pay, just simply want to do my part”

In addition to full-time nucleic acid sampling and testing like Chen Yu and Ji Lin, there are also many volunteer nucleic acid testers in the community who are not paid. Wang Jin (a pseudonym) of Tianjin Binhai New Area is one of them.

“Throughout last year, the epidemic in Tianjin was intermittent, and nucleic acid testing almost never stopped. After the weather cooled down, there was a shortage of sampling doctors and nurses, so I happened to see a notice for community nucleic acid sampling volunteers, and I signed up at the first opportunity!” Wang Jin introduced.

Before starting work, volunteers like Wang Jin need to undergo several training sessions, and each training session will have a corresponding assessment, all of which will be passed before they can start work. “You have participated in the Tianjin new coronavirus nucleic acid sampling training and passed the assessment, and obtained the Tianjin new coronavirus nucleic acid sampling induction qualification, is hereby issued this certificate.” Wang Jin obtained the certificate reads.

After getting the certificate, at first it is peripheral organization, then identity entry, next it is sealing the tube and bag, and finally it will do nucleic acid collection. The whole workflow will be supervised by experienced staff to avoid mistakes.

According to Wang Jin, I was on board from around the end of October 2022, and the last time I was involved in nucleic acid collection was in early December. “After December, Tianjin was particularly cold, and although it was considered indoors, my hands and feet were frozen to the point of numbness, and I felt that my exhaled breath was almost frozen!”

Even with the hard work, Wang Jin did not have any pay. “We are not there to make money, is simply want to do their part. The service is not someone else, is our parents, neighbors, friends, then look at the shortage of manpower, we think we can help a little is a little, do not want anything.” Wang Jin looked at his nucleic acid testing training certificate and said, “I hope this thing will not come in handy again!” Wang Jin hopes that life will return to normal and society will no longer need nucleic acid testing volunteers.

Nucleic acid sampling seems simple, but it is actually very detailed

“Looking back on these six months of work as a nucleic acid sampler, I always feel lucky.” Zhao Gang (a pseudonym) told Health Times that before he became a nucleic acid sampler in May 2022, he had been working as a temporary worker in Beijing, and chose to quit because the salary was too low.

“After Beijing implemented regular nucleic acid, the demand for nucleic acid testers increased dramatically. The thought at the time was that it would be a good income and a way to learn a new skill.” Zhao Gang said.

“Nucleic acid sampling looks simple, but it’s actually a very detailed job. At first, when sampling, I was even nervous that my hands were shaking, but after I got good at it, I got faster and faster, and I gradually developed a sense of accomplishment.” Zhao Gang recalls.

Zhao Gang cherishes his job as a nucleic acid sampler; the average temperature in Beijing in June and July can reach 35℃, and the protective suit is like a sauna, with the inner layer of clothes and hair soaked through. But Zhao Gang also just said, “It is very tired, but this salary level, I insist to the end!” After the adjustment of the epidemic policy, the nucleic acid sampler occupation suddenly “not fragrant”. “The only bad thing about this line of work is that there are few career prospects. Nucleic acid testing is a repetitive mechanized labor, even if you are skilled in all the skills, when the loss of demand, you face unemployment.”

“Many friends around me said that there are also nucleic acid tester jobs abroad with significant income, and I want to learn about it recently.” Zhao Gang said.

Ji Lin, Chen Yu, Wang Jin, Zhao Gang …… Whether full-time or part-time, or volunteer, the days of nucleic acid testing are an unforgettable memory in their lives.