New Hampshire Public Radio
Workers in the seafood industry were twice as likely to contract COVID-19 than employees in other food industries, according to a new study from the University of Hampshire.
Tight working conditions on vessels, as well as in seafood processing factories, appear to have played a direct role.
“You have people working, just like in any food processing, in really close quarters, working side by side together, on these food lines,” said Easton White, assistant professor of biological sciences at UNH, who led the study.
“[Researchers] estimate that there were 65 positive cases per 1,000 workers in seafood during the timeframe of the research, compared to 31 cases per 1,000 workers in the overall food system.”
White said fishers faced challenges using PPE while onboard vessels, where a wet environment made the use of masks less effective.
The study highlighted outbreaks in two major American fishing hubs: Alaska and New Bedford, Mass. … read more.
JOBS WITH THE HIGHEST COVID DEATH RATES
By Kathy Morris – May. 12, 2021
ZIPPIA – While the pandemic had many US workers joining the remote workforce, many workers could not work remotely.
To complicate matters, some jobs make socially distancing at work highly difficult and put you into contact with a wide-range of people.
Using data from a new study from UCSF’s Institute for Global Health Sciences, we highlighted the jobs with the biggest increase in excess deaths year over year.
The results? Essential workers were the heralded heroes of the pandemic as they continued to get the job done. However, many did so at great personal risk.
Main Findings
Cooks had the highest increase in excess deaths during the pandemic.
The average salary for a cook is only $27,996, well below the median US income of $35,977.
Cooks are not an exception– the majority of jobs that experienced the brunt of Covid deaths are low paying.
Unsurprisingly, LPNS, on the frontline of the pandemic, experienced increased death rates.
Jobs known for crowded conditions such as agriculture workers and production workers experienced some of the highest increase in excess deaths … READ MORE.
