2023 article

Combined Infection Control Interventions Protect Essential Food Workers from Occupational Exposures to SARS-CoV-2 in the Agricultural Environment

Cooper, D. K., Sobolik, J. S., Kovacevic, J., Rock, C. M., Sajewski, E. T., Guest, J. L., … Leon, J. S. (2023, June 13). APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY.

By: D. Cooper *, J. Sobolik *, J. Kovacevic *, C. Rock *, E. Sajewski *, J. Guest *, B. Lopman *, L. Jaykus n, J. Leon *

author keywords: COVID-19; quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA); vaccinations; nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs); produce industry worker
TL;DR: This model has demonstrated that the elevated daily SARS-CoV-2 infection risk experienced by indoor and outdoor produce workers can be reduced below 1% when vaccinations (optimal vaccine efficacy, 86 to 99%) are implemented with recommended infection control strategies (e.g., handwashing, surface disinfection, universal masking, physical distancing, and increased ventilation). (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
Source: Web Of Science
Added: June 26, 2023

This is the first study to estimate the daily risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection across a variety of indoor and outdoor environmental settings relevant to food workers (e.g., shared transportation [car or bus], enclosed produce processing facility and accompanying breakroom, outdoor produce harvesting field, shared housing facility) through a linked quantitative microbial risk assessment framework. Our model has demonstrated that the elevated daily SARS-CoV-2 infection risk experienced by indoor and outdoor produce workers can be reduced below 1% when vaccinations (optimal vaccine efficacy, 86 to 99%) are implemented with recommended infection control strategies (e.g., handwashing, surface disinfection, universal masking, physical distancing, and increased ventilation).