PICS AND VIDEO: The heroes doing the testing on the coronavirus frontline

Every five minutes, every person Mabotse Matloha comes into close contact with in her normal shift could be potentially infected with the significantly contagious Covid-19, but the mother of three from Limpopo could not be any prouder.

Her protective goggles, mask, gown and gloves are her barriers between herself and the danger potentially lurking in the queue of people lining up to have her take their samples to be tested for Covid-19 at Lancet Laboratories in Sandton.

“I was worried but now I am wearing PPE (personal protective equipment). I think I am 100% sure nothing will come against me,” said Matloha yesterday.

Lancet Laboratory Rochester Place staff are seen as patients arrive for coronavirus testing, 18 March 2020, in Sandton, at the lab. Patients arriving at the facility have all been referred by a doctor to be tested. Picture: Michel Bega

The protective goggles are for sneezing or coughing patients or to stop accidental spit, and the gown ensures she does not come into contact with the person she is testing.

She is strict with her precautions, saying: “They do not touch my door. I am the only one allowed to touch my door and to close it,” and changes a glove with every patient.

Once inside, Matloha explains to her patient how she will extract a sample from inside their nose. “Once I take the swab, I ziplock my sample and give it to the patient and point them to a basket in which to put the sample to assure them their sample is safe,” she explained.

Patients are seen queuing outside Lancet Laboratory Rochester Place for coronavirus testing, 18 March 2020, in Sandton. Patients arriving at the facility have all been referred by a doctor to be tested. Picture: Michel Bega

She and her colleagues at Lancet Laboratories have taken samples for Covid-19 testing from more than 600 people at their Sandton facilities through walk-in and drive-through sample-taking since Monday. It runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Walk-in is 7am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday.

The team has had to deal with all sorts of cases, “even people with just a stomach pain or headache that want tests”, according to a source.“It is delaying actual people that need pathology like cancer patients … people have to be turned away.”

According to the facility’s management, the influx was triggered by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of the Covid-19 as a national disaster, with those with travel history or who came into contact with such travellers seeking tests.

Lancet Laboratory Rochester Place staff are seen as patients arrive for coronavirus testing, 18 March 2020, in Sandton, at the lab. Patients arriving at the facility have all been referred by a doctor to be tested. Picture: Michel Bega

Lancet Laboratories has had to explain to panicky people that they only conduct tests based on doctors’ referrals and those who have informed their doctors prior to testing.

“If you are coming in and you do not have a doctor’s referral, we will not be able test you because we will not have anybody to send the results to,” said Mahendree Karim, regional technical manager (North) at Lancet Laboratories.

She said though it was trying times, people coming in for tests were “fantastic patients”, with a sense of humour, which she said was good for their staff.

Lancet Laboratory Rochester Place staff are seen as patients arrive for coronavirus testing, 18 March 2020, in Sandton, at the lab. Patients arriving at the facility have all been referred by a doctor to be tested. Picture: Michel Bega

She said the samples are taken to their Molecular Biological Laboratory near Auckland Park for polymerase chain reaction testing, with results taking up to 72 hours, depending on the workload.

The price tag for the testing has been reduced from R1,400 to R990 because of the increase in the number of people coming for the tests, Karim said.

Visit Lancet’s new infosite here.

– siphom@citizen.co.za

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