SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and risk factors among meat packing, produce processing, and farm workers

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  • Klein, Melissa D.
    • Other Affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
  • Sciaudone, Michael
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Richardson, David
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Lacayo, Roberto
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • McClean, Colleen M.
    • Other Affiliation: Duke University
  • Kharabora, Oksana
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Murray, Katherine
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Zivanovich, Miriana Moreno
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Strohminger, Stephen
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Gurnett, Rachel
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Markmann, Alena J.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Bhowmik, D. Ryan
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  • Salgado, Emperatriz Morales
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Castro-Arroyo, Edwin
    • Affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Aiello, Allison E.
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Boyce, Ross M.
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Juliano, Jonathan J.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
  • Bowman, Natalie M.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
Abstract
  • Meat packing, produce processing, and farm workers are known to have an elevated risk of COVID-19, but occupational risk factors in this population are unclear. We performed an observational cohort study of meat packing, produce processing, and farm workers in North Carolina in fall 2020. Blood, saliva, and nasal turbinate samples were collected to assess for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity were investigated using chi-square tests, two-sample t-tests, and adjusted risk ratio analyses. Among 118 enrolled workers, the baseline SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 50.0%. Meat packing plant workers had the highest SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (64.6%), followed by farm workers (45.0%) and produce processing workers (10.0%), despite similar sociodemographic characteristics. Compared to SARS-CoV-2 seronegative workers, seropositive workers were more likely to work in loud environments that necessitated yelling to communicate (RR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.25–2.69), work in cold environments (RR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.12–2.24), or continue working despite developing symptoms at work (RR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.14–2.32). After adjusting for age and working despite symptoms, high occupational noise levels were associated with a 1.72 times higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity (95% CI: 1.16–2.55). Half of food processing workers showed evidence of past SARS-CoV-2 infection, a prevalence five times higher than most of the United States population at the time of the study. Work environments with loud ambient noise may pose elevated risks for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Our findings also highlight the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among underserved and economically disadvantaged Latinx communities in the United States.
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  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
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  • Attribution 4.0 International
Journal title
  • PLOS Global Public Health
Journal volume
  • 2
Journal issue
  • 7
Page start
  • e0000619
Language
  • English
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  • Publisher
ISSN
  • 2767-3375

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