COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in U.S. meatpacking counties

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the extent to which the presence of a large meatpacking (i.e., beef, pork, and broiler chicken) plant has affected county-level COVID-19 transmission dynamics. We find that—within 150 days after emergence of COVID-19 in a given county—the presence of a large beef packing facility increases per capita infection rates by 110%, relative to comparable counties without meatpacking plants. Large pork and chicken processing facilities increase transmission rates by 160% and 20%, respectively. While the presence of this type of industrial agricultural facility is shown to exacerbate initial disease transmission affecting large numbers of individuals in the community, over time daily case rates converge such that rates observed in meatpacking- and non-meatpacking counties become similar. In aggregate, results suggest that 334 thousand COVID-19 infections are attributable to meatpacking plants in the U.S. with associated mortality and morbidity costs totaling more than $11.2 billion.

Animal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the Welfare of Animals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In the USA, some of the highest rates of human infection with SARS-CoV-2 have been among personnel working in meatpacking and other food processing facilities, resulting in large numbers of employees becoming ill at the same time and consequential facility closures. Some estimates are that as many as 334,000 of the COVID-19 cases in the USA at the time this paper was being written were among such personnel [57]. Such closures have resulted in livestock animals spending longer times in transport and holding, and at handling facilities, and in some cases, delays have led to decisions by livestock owners to mass euthanize their stock rather than continue to support animals that cannot be received at slaughter and packing plants [58].…”

“…As noted previously in this paper, the impact of COVID-19 on the livestock industry has been profound. In the United States, slaughter and meat processing facilities were hard-hit by the pandemic [57], and the resultant slow-down in livestock had profoundly detrimental effects on animal welfare [58,255]. In one survey of veterinarians servicing dairy farms in Pakistan, half reported that the farms they served were experiencing feed shortages because of the pandemic, and body scores of livestock across all 14 farms surveyed declined during this time.…”

Farm Animal Enclosure Requirements, Industry Concentration, and Supply Chain Dynamics

“…Unsurprisingly, the public health impacts were severe. Recent research suggests that, in total, meatpacking plants contributed approximately 331,000 county-level COVID-19 infections with a public health cost of more than $3.5 billion between March and November 2020 (Saitone et al, 2021). The poor resilience of beef and pork supply chains due to high concentration also exacted a large economic toll.…”

COVID-19 and the Working Class: Harm, Resistance, and Solidarity in the United States

“…49 A major U.K. study on socioeconomic inequalities and COVID-19 50 found that percent working from home during the study period and the "proximity to others" rating of individual occupations were both associated with COVID-19 mortality. 51 The study of social class disparities in COVID-19 mortality, 48 the UK report, 50 important theoretical development, 42 worksite COVID-19 outbreak investigations [52][53][54][55][56][57][58] and other empirical studies, 17,[59][60][61][62][63] reveal a tripartite syndemic -comprised of airborne SARS-CoV-2, hazardous labor, and structural racism -as a primary driver of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecological correlation studies of county-level socioeconomic indicators and crude (non-age-adjusted) death rates have found higher COVID-19 mortality in counties with higher economic adversity, [64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72] poorer housing quality, 65,73 greater household crowding, 64,74 higher levels of air pollution, 75,76 higher social vulnerability as measured by the CDC index, 46,[77][78][79][80] higher percent Black and/or other racial minority population, 64,65,67,…”