The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the agricultural sector in the Upper Midwest with new health and safety concerns, supply chain disruptions, and consumer demand changes.
Agricultural workplaces should consider COVID-19 prevention and response practices in health and safety planning.
ABOUT COVID-19
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some become severely ill. Older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill. While most people with COVID-19 get better within a few weeks, it is possible to experience post-COVID conditions. These conditions include a wide range of health problems and can occur four or more weeks after being infected. Even those who do not become severely ill from COVID-19 may experience post-COVID conditions.
WHO IS AT INCREASED RISK?
Some farmers and farmworkers may be at increased risk for severe illness, including people who:
- are 65 years and older
- have underlying medical conditions;
- lack healthcare coverage
- are unvaccinated
- are non-English speaking or have low literacy levels which may limit their ability to access information about worksite procedures and policies
- live in high-density housing, crowded living situations, multi-generational housing, or in other circumstances that would make it difficult to isolate cases.
- belong to racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19 because of discrimination, socioeconomic status, barriers to accessing healthcare, and increased exposure to the virus due to occupation
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Additional Resources
COVID-19 Resources for Agricultural Populations
- FAQ: COVID-19 and Migrant, Immigrant, and Food & Farm Worker Patients – Migrant Clinicians Network
- Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19 – FDA
- Respiratory Protection During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Best Practices for the Agricultural Community – High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, Ag Health & Safety Alliance
- Reducing Risk of Spread on Farm Operations – Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety
- Protecting Agricultural Workers from COVID-19 – Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety
- Respirator Pocket Card (English / Spanish) – Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
- COVID-19 Vaccine Information Postcard (English/Spanish) – Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
- Poultry Grower Facility COVID-19 Playbook – Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and the UNMC Global Center for Health Security
- (Video) Respiratory Protection – Understanding the Risks – AgriSafe & U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers
For more information about COVID-19
- About COVID-19 – CDC
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level – CDC
- Workplace Prevention Strategies (English) – CDC
- Workplace Prevention Strategies (Spanish) – CDC
- COVID-19 Fact Sheets – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)
- COVID-19 Conversation Guides – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)
- COVID-19 Employer Engagement – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)
- COVID-19 Testing Resources – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)
- Answers to Tough Questions about Public Health – Public Health Communications Collaborative
- COVID-19 Resource Center – Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
- CIDRAP Take: COVID-19– Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
- Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal: A Roadmap for Living with COVID – COVID Roadmap
- How does the COVID-19 vaccine work? (English/Spanish) – California Department of Public Health
- What are COVID-19 variants? (English/Spanish) – California Department of Public Health
- Journey to COVID-19 Vaccines (English/Spanish)– National Institutes of Health Community Engagement Alliance
- What to Know About COVID Variants (English/Spanish) – COVID-19 Public Education Campaign
- (Video) Rise of the Variants – available in Arabic, Dari, Nepali, English, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, and Ukrainian – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)
- Testing Positive for COVID-19. Now what? – available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole – Migrant Clinicians Network