During the Covid pandemic, I worked in a specially designed Covid lab for the company Saltro. My role here was to process Covid samples. Since the lab had to scale up at an exceptional rate due to the unprecedented increasing demand for test analyses, the workflow and tools used in the lab were changing continuously.

This experience has allowed me to update my lab skills, work in a dynamic team that operated in a constant state of change, and learn from the workflow of a high-throughput commercial lab. More importantly, it has given me a behind the scenes perspective on the Covid pandemic. It gave me a more nuanced outlook on this important societal event. I believe it is important for scientists to have a comprehensive understanding of the society we live in so that we can accurately assess how our research may impact and inform that society.