Liv works for EI, where she’s currently supporting the LAMP testing lab with waste disposal, stock management, deliveries and maintenance.

Having completed a degree in Biology, she was keen to put it to good use. Unfortunately, it seemed that her good intentions might have fallen foul of the global pandemic. Not to be outdone, she helped out at our Covid testing site near the Centrum on a part-time basis, swabbing keyworkers and incoming patients.

She didn’t have to wait for long before a full-time position came up working for EI to support our LAMP testing project.

“This was an ideal move for me as I have been able to support the hospital and Earlham Institute in their fight against the virus,” she said. “It has allowed me to gain great work experience too.

“Before I started working for the NHS I had felt a bit helpless because I had done a degree in Biology, but was not putting it to good use and felt unable to help people.

“When I started helping with the Swabbing team it was really nice to be able to help reassure people – especially those who were too afraid to go into the hospital. Then there was an opportunity to help in a different way and to join the LAMP testing team to make sure staff could carry on working.

“We often have worries or concerns which prevent us from doing something and I can see why some may not like the idea of spitting in a tube, but I think we have to remember that this is much easier than Lateral Flow testing and you only have to do it once a week. You don’t need a follow up PCR test if your LAMP result comes back as positive, so it is much easier all round.

“The most important thing is that this is a great way of finding out if you are transmissible and that is so important at a time when restrictions are being lifted.”

At the moment the lab is carrying out more than 400 tests per day, but has the capacity to do many more and is increasing capacity to do so.