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Nebraska, Georgia, Kansas Have Largest Number of Meat Workers Infected by Virus

CDC statistics from April show Pennsylvania has the most plants affected by COVID-19, but Midwestern and Southern states are suffering the largest number of plant workers testing positive.

COVID-19
COVID-19

The following is a synopsis of information gathered from the Centers for Disease Control web page on Morbidity and Mortality as of May 5, 2020.

COVID-19 cases among U.S. workers in 115 meat and poultry processing facilities were reported by 19 states. Among approximately 130,000 workers at these facilities, 4,913 cases and 20 deaths occurred. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  factors potentially affecting risk for infection include difficulties with workspace physical distancing and hygiene, and crowded living and transportation conditions.  

Nationwide, the meat and poultry processing industry, an essential component of the U.S. food infrastructure, employs approximately 500,000 persons, many of whom work in proximity to other workers.

By April 27, CDC had received aggregate data on COVID-19 cases from 19 of 23 states reporting at least one case related to the meat and poultry industry. There were 115 meat or poultry processing facilities with COVID-19 cases, including 4,913 workers with diagnosed COVID-19 (see Table 1 below). Among 17 states reporting the number of workers in their affected facilities, 3.0% of 130,578 workers received diagnoses of COVID-19. The percentage of workers with diagnosed COVID-19 ranged from 0.6% to 18.2%. Twenty COVID-19-related deaths were reported among workers.

Covid 19 Among Workers In Meat And Poultry Processing Facilities ― 19 States, April 2020 Mmwr 5

Sociocultural and economic challenges to COVID-19 prevention in meat and poultry processing facilities include accommodating the needs of workers from diverse backgrounds who speak different primary languages. In fact, one facility reported a workforce with 40 primary languages, according to CDC. This necessitates innovative approaches to educating and training employees and supervisors on safety and health information.

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