Update: COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and Poultry Processing Facilities - United States, April–May 2020

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 69; no. 27; pp. 887 - 892
• Main Authors: Waltenburg, Michelle A, Victoroff, Tristan, Rose, Charles E, Butterfield, Marilee, Jervis, Rachel H, Fedak, Kristen M, Gabel, Julie A, Feldpausch, Amanda, Dunne, Eileen M, Austin, Connie, Ahmed, Farah S, Tubach, Sheri, Rhea, Charles, Krueger, Anna, Crum, David A, Vostok, Johanna, Moore, Michael J, Turabelidze, George, Stover, Derry, Donahue, Matthew, Edge, Karen, Gutierrez, Bernadette, Kline, Kelly E, Martz, Nichole, Rajotte, James C, Julian, Ernest, Diedhiou, Abdoulaye, Radcliffe, Rachel, Clayton, Joshua L, Ortbahn, Dustin, Cummins, Jason, Barbeau, Bree, Murphy, Julia, Darby, Brandy, Graff, Nicholas R, Dostal, Tia K H, Pray, Ian W, Tillman, Courtney, Dittrich, Michelle M, Burns-Grant, Gail, MSPH, Sooji Lee, Spieckerman, Alisa, Iqbal, Kashif, Griffing, Sean M, Lawson, Alicia, Mainzer, Hugh M, Bealle, Andreea E, Edding, Erika, Arnold, Kathryn E, Rodriguez, Tomas, Merkle, Sarah, Pettrone, Kristen, Schlanger, Karen, Labar, Kristin, Hendricks, Kate, Lasry, Arielle, Krishnasamy, Vikram, Walke, Henry T, Rose, Dale A, Honein, Margaret A
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta U.S. Center for Disease Control 10-07-2020
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Fatalities; Infectious diseases; Meat; Meat processing; Minority & ethnic groups; Pattern recognition; Poultry; Viral diseases; Workers; United States > US
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X

Meat and poultry processing facilities face distinctive challenges in the control of infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 outbreaks among meat and poultry processing facility workers can rapidly affect large numbers of persons. Assessment of COVID-19 cases among workers in 115 meat and poultry processing facilities through Apr 27, 2020, documented 4,913 cases and 20 deaths reported by 19 states. Here, Waltenburg et al provide 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.