Multifaceted Public Health Response to a COVID-19 Outbreak Among Meat-Processing Workers, Utah, March-June 2020

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barson T ; Boyd AT ; Budge H ; Burgos-Garay M ; Hunt E ; Ladva CN ; Reynolds, Laura E. ; Robinson SJ ; Rogers TM ; Soto N ; Thompson M ; Whiteman A
• Description:
  Objective: To identify potential strategies to mitigate COVID-19 transmission in a Utah meat-processing facility and surrounding community. Design/setting: During March-June 2020, 502 workers at a Utah meat-processing facility (facility A) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Using merged data from the state disease surveillance system and facility A, we analyzed the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 positivity and worker demographics, work section, and geospatial data on worker residence. We analyzed worker survey responses to questions regarding COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors at work and home. Participants: (1) Facility A workers (n = 1373) with specimen collection dates and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results; (2) residential addresses of all persons (workers and nonworkers) with a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test (n = 1036), living within the 3 counties included in the health department catchment area; and (3) facility A workers (n = 64) who agreed to participate in the knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey. Main outcome measures: New cases over time, COVID-19 attack rates, worker characteristics by SARS-CoV-2 test results, geospatially clustered cases, space-time proximity of cases among workers and nonworkers; frequency of quantitative responses, crude prevalence ratios, and counts and frequency of coded responses to open-ended questions from the COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey. Results: Statistically significant differences in race (P = .01), linguistic group (P < .001), and work section (P < .001) were found between workers with positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 test results. Geographically, only 6% of cases were within statistically significant spatiotemporal case clusters. Workers reported using handwashing (57%) and social distancing (21%) as mitigation strategies outside work but reported apprehension with taking COVID-19-associated sick leave. Conclusions: Mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks among workers in congregate settings requires a multifaceted public health response that is tailored to the workforce. Implications for policy and practice: Tailored, multifaceted mitigation strategies are crucial for reducing COVID-19-associated health disparities among disproportionately affected populations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Communicable Diseases Community Health Services Demography Diagnosis Food-Processing Industry Food Handling Food Industry Healthcare Disparities Health Promotion Occupational Health Public Health Risk Assessment Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Viral Diseases

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• Keywords:
  Attitude Author Keywords: Attitudes Community Health Coronavirus Coronavirus Infections COVID-19 Demographic Characteristics Diagnostic Tests Disease Transmission Food Processing Industry Food Processing Workers Health Behavior Health Communications Health Disparities Health Surveys Infection Control Infectious Diseases Meat Handlers Meat Packing Industry Occupational Health Outbreak Management Policy Public Health Questionnaires Risk Communication Risk Management Safety Practices SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance Survey Viral Diseases Viral Infections Workers Work Operations

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• ISSN:
  1078-4659
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  60-69
• Volume:
  28
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062922
• Citation:
  J Public Health Manag Pract 2022 Jan/Feb; 28(1):60-69
• Contact Point Address:
  Tia M. Rogers, PhD, MPH, COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA 31034
• Email:
  xgf1@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5fc475bf73f0b52648151eaef37ae8db1574ca09b438e58451886d6681065f85b72a7026f4c6409b64980bfaadc56d357d79d69c22ea8aac3f5eb39421bc49ba
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/226089/cdc_226089_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 214.27 KB ]