What is the biggest protocol change you’ve made on your farm because of COVID-19? A recent Farm Journal’s PORK poll shows 73% of respondents said nothing.
In the poll, 14% indicated that they are making changes, ranging from spacing employee starts to keep employees more separated and creating more hand sanitizing stations to shortening work hours to minimize duration of contact and implementing travel restrictions.
Aaron Lower, DVM, with Carthage Veterinary Service, says that these numbers aren’t surprising.
“We generally haven’t seen farm outbreaks of COVID-19,” Lower says. “We’ve seen individual cases or a handful of cases. When we’ve seen farm outbreaks, it’s been when there’s a living or carpooling situation with a lot of contact between employees all day.”
Lower believes the barn is a relatively safe place to be right now because employees are often not working closely together and are more spread out throughout the farm. There is also a lot of ventilation and sustained air flow all the time.
“Where farms have implemented changes are on the break room side – staggering breaks, more sanitization, additional breakrooms. That is where the real risk comes from,” Lower says.
He believes farms realize that it’s very unlikely to have zero cases of COVID-19 on the farm, but they are doing everything they can to prevent an epidemic outbreak at the farm.
“We do have outbreaks of sickness in farms – like influenza or unknown viruses or bacteria,” he admits. “It will be interesting to see with some of the mitigation happening within and outside of the farm, will we see healthier employees this winter?”
Read more from Farm Journal's PORK:
COVID-19: 5 Things Your Farm Should Do Now
Protect Your Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Truth About Influenza and Pigs
Influenza Season Requires Precaution in Handling Pigs
The Link LonkOctober 29, 2020 at 07:20PM
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PORK Poll Results: Is COVID-19 Changing Protocol on the Farm? - Pork Magazine
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