32045: Lockdown in a Covid-19 Testing Centre

At this moment in time, I would - in normal circumstances - be studying in my Oxford dorm. This morning is different. I have woken up at 5:30 to make my way to the Covid-19 Testing Centre in my town to begin working. It's raining heavily but we're continuing to provide an essential service - helping the sick and vulnerable to test themselves safely. It's long hours and hard work but I'm glad to be doing my part in the fight against this terrible virus, which is affecting each and every one of us in some area of our lives. I miss my studies and friends, but I'm determined to stay positive and I get a great deal of satisfaction from my work - I meet and work with people from all walks of life, and this only underlines how indiscriminate Covid can be, and the joys of how we can all be brought together in crisis. It's a surreal environment to work in. Cars snake into the centre from 8am, seven days a week. We are only able to communicate through the car windows, which is often an exercise in itself. Confusion and communication difficulties abound. They make their way from station to station, greeted by masked workers, and take their tests. Many are incredibly anxious. It's a stressful time for all involved, and you can't help but feel tremendous sympathy for those whose health won't stand a positive result. Yet this is also an incredibly uplifting place to work. There are regular laughs, and the camaraderie amongst the staff keeps me hopeful of a time when the centre will no longer be needed, and we may all be happily made redundant and return to our normal lives.