Voice from the Lab: Work Experiences of Medical Technologists Amidst the Covid-19 Situation

Abstract

The objective of this research paper was to study the spatial context and work process of medical technologists in laboratories, including an analysis of the coronavirus’s influence on their experiences.  Qualitative research method through paper-based data collection and techno-ethnographic field study was adopted for the survey of medical laboratories where the coronavirus screening was performed. Actor-network theory (ANT) was the main methodology employed to trace and study both human and non-human elements.  ANT contributed to the construction of context and scientific facts in the labs and producing the impacts on the work experiences of medical technologists.  The result showed that the labs’ spatial context is constructed through links with social processes towards Covid-19 and activities taking place in the labs also reflect socio-technical relations.  Working in close proximity to pathogens, the medical technologists could see that the pathogens are closely related to human beings and are more than just epidemic agents; they could affect the medical technologists’ subjectivity in terms of both feelings and social life in different aspects. Accordingly, this paper proposed policy recommendation for development in working context and trainings provided to medical technologists on how to deal with pathogens, more attention should be paid to cross-disciplinary knowledge integration and the roles of non-human elements.  These will help broaden their perspective and allow them to understand the working context which is connected to socio-cultural context and see the social life of pathogens which could affect their thoughts, feelings and ways of life.  These may be adopted as guidelines on how to better deal with and coexist with pathogens when new epidemics arise, and also adapted for future development of health and disease prevention policies.