Infections caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus do not distribute evenly across the population. Moreover, the strata of society we find ourselves in have an impact too. But then this is the case with so many things in a world where a ‘two queue system’ still prevails. Take Covid-19 transmission in meat packing plants for example.
The High Rate of Covid-19 Transmission in Meat Packing Plants
There have been numerous outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat processing and packing plants. Each one has generated a new cluster to track, and contain. Researchers at Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University investigated Covid-19 transmission in meat packing plants. They discovered structural reasons for the phenomenon.
This research is important, because of the relatively dense spread of these outbreaks. In Ontario Canada, for example, one in four cases traced back to three meat and poultry plants. Moreover, U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports 20 deaths from 4,913 cases among 130,000 workers at 115 meat packing plants.
Three Main Factors Turn Out to Be Behind this Trend
The team from Center for Evidence-Based Medicine uncovered an industry under ‘intense competitive pressure’. The result was a culture that operated ‘regardless of effects on animals, workers, and the environment’ they say. They go on to report the following factors behind relatively high Covid-19 transmission in meat packing plants:
1… The hygienic work environment for the best of intentions favors SARS-Cov-2 survival due to metallic surfaces and low temperatures
1… Social factors play a role too. Crowded work places may discourage distancing. The work force could use shared transport
3… A culture of fear may permeate a vulnerable, low-paid workforce perhaps scared to report infections, and possibly lose their jobs
The above are the opinions and overall conclusions of the researchers from Center for Evidence-Based Medicine in England. We remain neutral on this. However, this research once again appears to confirm the crisis is in our hands, and none of us are entirely innocent.
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Preview Image: A Meat Processing Plant
