Public Health Lab
COVID-19 Stories: Myra

“My name is Myra, and I was the Public Health Lab Division director during the pandemic.

“It’s hard to even think about that time, because it just seems like a blur. Like, I don't remember the shutdown, when it really happened. As a division, we were doing things long before the shutdown happened, trying to prepare the best we could. But we never could have prepared for what came, ever.

“Fun fact: the first positive case that we detected here in Minnesota was on my birthday. I remember it very vividly. I had the day off, and my husband, child and I were at Como Zoo, just walking around. I got a call from the lab saying, ‘Enjoy your time off, because it's going to be a while before you will be off again.’ After that, I was working 12- to 14-hour days every single day for months. The second weekend in March was when we started doing seven-days-a-week testing.

“Honestly, that first year was really mentally draining, like to the point where sometimes I don't remember how bad it was. I do feel, professionally, that I've been able to open up a lot more and share personal experiences with colleagues, and relate with their stressors and their situations differently than I might have previously.

“My husband and child are absolutely amazing. The two of them are such amazing supports. If I did not have them, I would probably be in a very different situation, pandemic or not. Our little nest is, for me, exactly what I need. I also have specific people that would just go for a walk, right? Like, ‘Hey, I need coffee,’ and if they could drop whatever they're doing, we’d just go for a walk.

“I learned that my voice does have power. I'm usually very soft-spoken and I don't step into the conversation, but I learned that if I don't do that, the lab is very easily forgotten. I hate it when the lab is forgotten. I guess that is very much a pet peeve of mine.”  

PHL COVID-19 Stories is a series about the experiences of Public Health Lab employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.