Effects on Farm Workers. Farmworkers join farmers in providing the labor to supply food for the nation and beyond. They were designated as essential workers and targeted to receive COVID-19 vaccinations early in vaccine distribution (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study of COVID-19 among meat and poultry plant workers. As of April 2020, 4,913 employees had been infected, and 20 virus-related deaths had occurred in 115 of those plants (Dyal et al., 2020). By June 2020, five workers from two poultry plants on Maryland’s Eastern Shore had died, and 200 workers had been infected (Dance, 2020). By July, another worker had died, and infections among meatpacking workers had increased to 570. It’s likely t hat many other infections were not reported. As of mid-January 2021, there were 81,386 confirmed cases in 1,363 meatpacking and food processing facilities and 383 deaths among meat packing, food processing and farm workers (Douglas, 2020). Latino farmworkers have accounted for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases. They exhibited five to seven times the risk of COVID-19 related deaths compared to Whites (Bassett et al., 2020). A Florida study conducted in 2020 examined risk factors for COVID-19 among crop workers in Florida and across the United States. The study showed that 84% of crop workers across the U.S. and 75% in Florida had at least one precondition that put them at greater risk of complications from the virus, including diabetes, liver disease, heart condition, and kidney disease (Onel et al., 2020). The study also found that male workers over age sixty, with a pre-existing condition, were at risk of serious illness after having the virus. Another study, conducted in the Salinas Valley of California, also investigated risk factors among farmworkers. Many of the California workers had preexisting conditions, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Close living quarters also put the workers at greater risk. This study also examined the ef fect of COVID-19 on mental well-being. Among the workers surveyed, 91% saw the virus as a threat; 85% were either concerned or very concerned about contracting it; 82% said COVID-19 had a negative or extremely negative effect on their lives; 37% were experiencing very low food security; 33% were afraid of losing their employment if they got sick; 32% had a loved one get sick or die; 8% were identified as likely having a major depressive order; and 6% were identified as likely having generalized anxiety (University of California, 2020). Effects on Physical Health. COVID-19 presents a threat to the health of farmers. With the average age of farmers being 58 years, and 30% being 65 years or older, and with most farmers having a pre-existing condition, a high percentage of them are vulnerable to the virus (Inwood et al., 2018). Especially vulnerable are farmers of color, including Black and Latino farmers, and farmworkers who work or live in close quarters.
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