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expert reaction to localised COVID-19 outbreaks in an abattoir in Germany and a food factory in Wales

There have been further reports in the media of COVID-19 outbreaks in food processing plants, notably an abattoir in Germany and a food factory in Wales.

 

Dr Jenna Macciochi, Lecturer in Immunology, University of Sussex, said:

“There is evidence from other respiratory viruses that the season can impact viruses and our immunity, but for SARSCoV2 we don’t know exactly if this is true.

“For example, pollen has been shown to be anti-viral and can help our immune system respond to viruses, and in summer the longer days with UV light, humidity and air temperature can all impact respiratory viruses.

“But for meat processing plants, I’d assume that it would be less about temperature and more about the contact distance and time between individuals.”

 

Prof Chris Elliott, Director of the Institute for Global Food Safety, Queen’s University Belfast, said:

“Apart from the US, where massive issues in meat plants occurred with COVID-19 forcing many closures, the food processing industry have shown that the measures put in place to protect workers have been very effective. Investigations are under way to ascertain if there are any commonalties between the issues that have emerged in the plants in Wales and Germany. Potentially the air circulation and filtration systems employed may be one cause, but at this point this is just speculation.”

 

Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, said:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is characterised by bigger and sometime more serious outbreaks in institutions such as care homes and hospitals. Meat processing plants are an unfamiliar environment for many of us but there have been numerous large outbreaks recorded in these settings.

“Whilst refrigeration may be a contributory factor to the spread of the virus, the key factors are likely to be the number of people close together in indoor conditions. Some of these factories have onsite or nearby accommodation where there are several people in each dormitory, they may be transported on a bus to the site of work, and they will be indoors together all day. Levels of adherence to measures such as washing hands is uncertain and there is unlikely to be widespread use of PPE.

“Thus there is ample opportunity for those many close contacts to result in successful transmission.”

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53087139

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53134766

 

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

 

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