Why Meat Processing Plants ( CRS, DrPH)

Hazelpad wrote: Thanks Chuck for taking the time on the detailed reply...a real eye opener.  I understand now how the combination is creating the perfect storm in these places and why it is just ripping right through them.    Pretty terrible for people who work there and the local communities. Hz x P.s. Edwin thanks for the article you found on temperature.

You are so welcome!!  To be on the floor of these massive factories is mind-blowing....chickens are processed at bullet-like speed, and there are many, many steps involved from starting with a living organism to clean/fresh meat packaged to sell!  

There isn't much I haven't seen in my career....I lived in the UK in the early 1990s and ate British beef (they were under international blacklist because of mad cow disease), and now cannot donate blood because of this!  I'm an expert in prions and not worried about CJD in the least.  

As much as I enjoy eating meat, I will gladly transition to meatless substitutes as these become more affordable and available.   The entire concept of industrial meat is rather, well, disgusting!  Be safe, dear!  

Hazelpad wrote: Calling Chuck who has background in this, or anyone else who may have any ideas... Why are the meat  processing  plant staff  being hit by C19 so bad just now.  In Europe cases are falling but rising rapidly in these plants.   600 infections in a German plant, and here in UK  3  large chicken processing  plants closed today..is it the way they work ( I thought they spent a lot of time suited and masked up), or something else. Just curious.  Some people here begining to suggest it's the vegans and vowing revenge ....poor vegans.... seriously though wonder what  actually  it is.  Working practices maybe. Or just a coincidence.    The large call centres with 1000s of people working in close proximity seem to have been spared, but not the processing plants.   One of the plants involved in the UK I was reading supplies a 3rd of all chicken to UK supermarkets and it has had to close. Anyone any idea as I know this happened in US.   Thanks Hz x

Thanks!  Just saw this.  I have worked with ConAgra and Tysons poultry, MN Beef Processors, Beef America, Jennie O Turkey, Packerland Packing and other major meat processing operations.  

There are a number of possibilities including: 

a) work environment - it is true that workers are spaced very closely together - evisceration of chickens, for example, is VERY labor intensive hand-work, there are large tables of (mostly foreign women) who take partially cleaned chickens and hand-remove any residual fecal material, intestines etc. that are left by the automated cleaning systems.  It is almost impossible to avoid close contact between workers in these production lines. 

b) processing atmosphere - as mentioned, these massive factories are huge refrigerators, and so to reduce costs, the chilled plant air is continuously recirculated.   This may help to spread the virus throughout the plant. 

c)  worker habits - my personal theory is that it is primarily due to work breaks, socializing in the break room, smoking etc.  The workers at these plants hang together very closely, and I think social distancing goes to hell in the break rooms.  Also, locker rooms and bathrooms are no doubt a source of transmission, especially since SARS-CoV2 may be spread by fecal/oral route.  Since workers are literally soaking in blood when the shift is over, they must strip down, shower and change before leaving for home.  

d)  social habits - Since many of the workers are poor immigrants who are not paid well, they tend to live in very close quarters (multiple families per house), share transportation to/from work, etc.  The ethnic groups like Mexican, Hmong, Somali and others are also very family-oriented and will tend to congregate in their off time in large family gatherings, sharing ethnic dishes & enjoying family contact.  I'm sure this is part of it.  I've worked with all of these groups, they are quite wonderful, and their children tend to do well in local schools. 

Working in a meat processing plant is sort of like being stuck in hell....the work is VERY hazardous and difficult, pay is lousy, and production drives everything.  The sum of all of above is why meat plants are so susceptible to COVID-19 in my professional opinion.  

p.s. this is a wastewater tank I designed for a poultry plant in MN!   1 million gallons per day of wastewater, you can see the reddish tint from blood in the aeration tank in the foreground.  

COVID Outbreak in German Slaughterhouse Will Affect Lidl and Aldi in Europe But Not Their Outlets in Spain -21 Jun 2020


https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2020/06/21/covid-outbreak-in-german-slaughterhouse-will-affect-lidl-and-aldi-in-europe-but-not-their-outlets-in-spain/

Germany has recently suffered the worst outbreak of Covid-19 in Europe this, in turn, has affected Lidl and Aldi supermarkets across Europe, however, Spain assures they are not affected by this outbreak.

Thanks for your replies, makes a bit more sense now.  All good points.

I was just curious as the links between outbreaks and meat processing plants are becoming even more pronounced.  So many employees, so in German plant 1000 out of 3200 employees is approx 1 in 3 all at one time.  That's a huge hit rate  in one building and not seen on other industries that also have huge staff numbers working in close proximity such as call centres in UK.  Outbreak in London large Barclays Bank call centre only approx spread to 1 in 35 employees.

Your explanations about cold dark damp working conditions meaning virus stays around longer.  Also 24hr production and type of strenuous work so thanks for that.

At moment we have 3 meat processsing plants shut in UK, an 2 more under investigation, similar examples across some parts of Europe, China et .  Alarming today reported a 1/2 of C19 hotspots in US are now linked to meat processing plants.

Obviously with a pattern emerging like that I was curious so was looking for  info  so thanks for opi io s much appreciated. 

Hz

Almost half the current Covid-19 hotspots in the US are linked to meat processing

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/us-coronavirus-meat-packing-plants-food

It's quite physical work butchering animals and so people would be breathing deeply, unlike in a call centre. Perhaps that's the reason.

I think they said one of the reasons is the people work so close in proximity to each other that if one person gets it, it's just spread so easily because of the closeness of working conditions. 

Calling Chuck who has background in this, or anyone else who may have any ideas...

Why are the meat  processing  plant staff  being hit by C19 so bad just now.  In Europe cases are falling but rising rapidly in these plants. 

 600 infections in a German plant, and here in UK  3  large chicken processing  plants closed today..is it the way they work ( I thought they spent a lot of time suited and masked up), or something else.

Just curious.  Some people here begining to suggest it's the vegans and vowing revenge ....poor vegans.... seriously though wonder what  actually  it is.  Working practices maybe. Or just a coincidence. 

  The large call centres with 1000s of people working in close proximity seem to have been spared, but not the processing plants.  

One of the plants involved in the UK I was reading supplies a 3rd of all chicken to UK supermarkets and it has had to close.

Anyone any idea as I know this happened in US.  

Thanks Hz x