Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Meat Processing Workers in Nebraska, USA, and Effectiveness of Risk Mitigation Measures

Abstract

I n the early months of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, meat processing facilities became among the largest epicenters of COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States (1). Declared a critical infrastructure industry in April 2020 (2), meat processing facilities are particularly vulnerable to COV-ID-19 because of the high density of workers required for operations, prolonged close contact of personnel on the production line, indoor work environments with compact cafeteria and locker room areas, and a workforce with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds that make educational efforts more challenging (3). A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that, as of May 31, 2020, >16,000 workers in meat and poultry processing facilities in the United States had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 86 had died (4); as of October 2020, those case counts and deaths had more than tripled (5).Meat processing facilities in Nebraska employ ≈26,000 workers (6). The fi rst COVID-19 illness among meat processing facility workers in Nebraska was identifi ed March 9, 2020. As of July 2020, cases had been reported among workers in 23 Nebraska meat processing facilities. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services partnered to mitigate COVID-19 risks in Nebraska among workers in this industry. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services expanded case investigations and contact tracing teams and coordinated 2 mass testing events with participating meat processing facilities. UNMC created evidence-based guidelines for facilities (7) and assembled a team of infectious disease and infection prevention and control (IPC) experts to provide onsite and virtual technical assistance to facilities to evaluate gaps in IPC practices and provide facility-specifi c IPC recommendations.Local and state health departments conducted case investigations to collect information on demographics, employer, occupation, industry, illness descriptions, medical history, and outcomes among Nebraska meat processing workers. Moreover, although industry-specifi c guidelines for mitigating COVID-19 transmission in meat processing facilities have been issued by CDC and other public health

Systematic review of empiric studies on lockdowns, workplace closures, and other non- pharmaceutical interventions in non-healthcare workplaces during the initial year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Benefits and selected unintended consequences

“…The COVID-19 pandemic had unequal effects on the population, with people who could work remotely faring better in terms of health and socioeconomic wellbeing than persons who were required to work inperson, such as those in goods production or essential industries [1]. Minority and low-income vulnerable persons are over-represented in high-risk essential industries [1,45,105]. COVID-19 death rates in the U.S. have been estimated to be substantially higher in Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks compared to non-…”