CDC Update: COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and Poultry Processing

Latest CDC research reports 91 COVID-19 related deaths and more than 17,000 cases across U.S. meat and poultry facilities.

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The following information is a synopsis of the details published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) between July 10 and 13, 2020.

Among 23 states reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in meat and poultry processing facilities, 16,233 cases in 239 facilities occurred, including 86 (0.5%) COVID-19–related deaths. Among cases with race/ethnicity reported, 87% occurred among racial or ethnic minorities. Commonly implemented interventions included worker screening, source control measures (universal face coverings), engineering controls (physical barriers), and infection prevention measures (additional hand hygiene stations), according to a recent CDC statement.

Assessment of COVID-19 cases among workers in 115 meat and poultry processing facilities through April 27, 2020, documented 4,913 cases and 20 deaths reported by 19 states. This report provides updated aggregate data from states regarding the number of meat and poultry processing facilities affected by COVID-19, the number and demographic characteristics of affected workers, and the number of COVID-19–associated deaths among workers, as well as descriptions of interventions and prevention efforts at these facilities. Aggregate data on confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths among workers identified and reported through May 31, 2020, were obtained from 239 affected facilities (those with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case in one or more workers) in 23 states.

Covid-19在16,233名工人中得到证实,其中包括86名Covid-19与19号相关的死亡。在报告受影响的肉类和家禽加工设施中的工人总数(112,616)中,在9.1%的工人中被诊断出了Covid-19。在报告种族/族裔的21个州的9,919例(61%)案件中,种族和少数民族工人中发生了87%。通常报道的设施干预措施和预防工作包括实施工人温度或症状筛查和COVID-19教育,要求面部覆盖,增加手动卫生站以及在工人之间增加身体障碍。在全国范围内,在肉类和家禽加工设施中,这些干预措施和预防工作的职业风险和实施可以帮助保护这个关键基础设施行业的工人。

独特的因素,增加肉类和家禽processing workers’ risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, include prolonged close workplace contact with coworkers (within 6 feet for more than15 minutes) for long time periods (8–12 hour shifts), shared work spaces, shared transportation to and from the workplace, congregate housing, and frequent community contact with fellow workers. Many of these factors might also contribute to ongoing community transmission.

To better understand the effect of COVID-19 on workers in these facilities nationwide, on June 6, 2020, CDC requested that state health departments report aggregate surveillance data through May 31, 2020, for workers in all meat and poultry processing facilities affected by COVID-19, including 1.) the number and type of such facilities that had reported at least one confirmed COVID-19 case among workers, 2.) the total number of workers in affected facilities, 3.) the number of workers with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, and 4.) the number of COVID-19–related worker deaths. States reported COVID-19 cases determined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists confirmed case definition.

Twenty-eight (56%) of 50 states responded, including 23 (82%) that reported at least one confirmed COVID-19 case among meat and poultry processing workers. Overall, 239 facilities reported 16,233 COVID-19 cases and 86 COVID-19–related deaths among workers. See table on this page orlink到CDC。平均每个sta影响设施的数量te was seven (interquartile range = 3–14). Among 14 states reporting the total number of workers in affected facilities, 9.1% of 112,616 workers received diagnoses of COVID-19. The percentage of workers with COVID-19 ranged from 3.1% to 24.5% per facility.

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Twenty-one states provided information on demographic characteristics and symptom status of workers with COVID-19. Among the 12,100 (75%) and 12,365 (76%) patients with information on sex and age, 7,288 (60%) cases occurred among males, and 5,741 (46%) were aged 40–59 years, respectively (Figure)。在报告的9,919例(61%)案件中,有5,584名(56%)为西班牙裔,非西班牙裔黑人(黑人)中有1,842(19%),1,332(13%),非西班牙裔白人(白人(白人)(白人),亚洲人有1,161(12%)。据报道10,284例(63%)病例的症状状况;其中,有9,072名工人是有症状的(88%),有11212名(12%)是无症状的或有症状的。

Information on interventions and prevention efforts was available for 111 (46%) facilities from 14 states. Overall, 89 (80%) facilities reported screening workers on entry, 86 (77%) required all workers to wear face coverings, 72 (65%) increased the availability of hand hygiene stations, 70 (63%) educated workers on community spread, and 69 (62%) installed physical barriers between workers (表2)。Forty-one (37%) of 111 facilities offered testing for SARS-CoV-2 to workers; 24 (22%) reported closing temporarily as an intervention measure.

The animal slaughtering and processing industry employs an estimated 525,000 workers in approximately 3,500 facilities nationwide Combining data on workers with COVID-19 and COVID-19–related deaths identified and reported through May 31 from 23 states (16,233 cases; 86 deaths) with data from an earlier assessment through April 27 (1,125 cases; five deaths) that included data from six states that did not contribute updated data to this report, at least 17,358 cases and 91 COVID-19–related deaths have occurred among U.S. meat and poultry processing workers.

The effects of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups are not yet fully understood; however, current data indicate a disproportionate burden of illness and death among these populations (4,5)。Among animal slaughtering and processing workers from the 21 states included in this report whose race/ethnicity were known, approximately 39% were white, 30% were Hispanic, 25% were black, and 6% were Asian. However, among 9,919 workers with COVID-19 with race/ethnicity reported, approximately 56% were Hispanic, 19% were black, 13% were white, and 12% were Asian, suggesting that Hispanic and Asian workers might be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in this workplace setting.

In coordination with state and local health agencies, many meat and poultry processing facilities have implemented interventions to reduce transmission or prevent ongoing exposure within the workplace, including offering testing to workers.组合全国范围内这些设施的干预措施扩大可能有助于保护该行业的工人。认识到工作场所和社区的相互作用,许多设施还向工人提供了有关减少Covid-19在工作场所外传播的策略的教育。

High population-density workplace settings such as meat and poultry processing facilities present ongoing challenges to preventing and reducing the risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Collaborative implementation of interventions and prevention efforts, which might include comprehensive testing strategies, could help reduce COVID-19–associated occupational risk. Targeted, workplace-specific prevention strategies are critical to reducing COVID-19–associated health disparities among vulnerable populations Lessons learned from investigating outbreaks of COVID-19 in meat and poultry processing facilities could inform investigations in other food production and agriculture workplaces to help prevent and reduce COVID-19 transmission among all workers in these essential industries.

了解有关CDC报告的更多详细信息https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6927e2.htm?s_cid=mm6927e2_w

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