Silver lining

Hong Kong-born Chik left for Canada at the age of 7 and returned in 2013 with a degree in microbiology. She did not expect to find a job at a genetic research institute, a field Hong Kong is not known for. "At that time. I thought I would teach the kids English," she said.

To her surprise, she joined the diagnostic center and was later promoted to lead a team of 13 people. All the team have been helping to distribute and collect test kits since July.

Chik recalled that the first day of deliveries was utter chaos. "A lot of things went wrong. Things were missing. We couldn't find some places and so on," she said.

Before they set off, one of the staff burst into tears, afraid she might catch the virus and infect the rest of her family.

However, Chik, as the team leader, comforted her colleague, explaining that they would all be provided with full protective gear, and that there was liquid inside the kits to kill the virus.

"But I also explained to her the real risk, because nothing immunizes a person against this virus now," Chik said.

The most important part of getting things on track is to get "feedback and optimize", she noted. Every day the team makes time to talk about what didn't go well that day, what made it easier, and then make any necessary adjustments.

Even as they become proficient and able to accomplish their tasks smoothly, this time-consuming outdoor labor is filled with challenges.

Hong Kong's summer weather is one of them. Either it's hot and the sun is burning down, or it's raining heavily. During Higos, every time she packed the kits and took them out, then shut the back of the van, the rain cascaded around her like a waterfall.