Do you think that all these meat factory outbreaks is an indication that the virus thrives in cold conditions and we will have more difficulty controlling it in the winter?

[Blueberryham]

Sorry if already asked somewhere else

The meat pattern is interesting, isn't it? Really jumps out at you. I wonder if there's a biological explanation. There's an interesting paper that found the virus interacts with the cells of other mammals as much as it does with humans. There's so much we don't know.

Cold and damp conditions will preserve the virus. We have been washing any food that goes into the fridge or freezer. I can’t be bothered to wash my (eczema) hands every 5 mins, they will crack, so it’s easier just to wipe packaging that will be refrigerated so as not to accidentally pick it up and infact yourself later.

People keep mentioning the point about it being loud so workers have to shout to be heard, and about people working close together. I don't doubt that those are relevant factors, but surely those factors are present at other types of factory too? There does seem to be a particular issue with meat. I have wondered whether the virus can continue to multiply on a recently slaughtered animal whereas on other surfaces it dies off if it doesn't have a live host?

All the explanations given for the outbreaks in meat factories/slaughter houses are also true of most other food production facilities so I'll don my tin hat and say that I think the virus is crossing species. Obviously any worker who is then in contact with a freshly slaughtered (infected) animal are going to be at high risk of infection.

Dogs, cats and mink have been found to test positive for Covid 19 so why not cows, pigs and sheep?

@Thingybob

All the explanations given for the outbreaks in meat factories/slaughter houses are also true of most other food production facilities so I'll don my tin hat and say that I think the virus is crossing species. Obviously any worker who is then in contact with a freshly slaughtered (infected) animal are going to be at high risk of infection.

Dogs, cats and mink have been found to test positive for Covid 19 so why not cows, pigs and sheep?

Correlation is not causation

Correlation is not causation

I agree but I haven't seen any credible explanation of why infections are centred on meat processing plants rather than any other food processing plants.

There are some interesting articles in the Independent and the Guardian on this. Not sure how to link the article but from the Independent:

"The virus survives on cold surfaces and, in the absence of sunlight, virus containing droplets from infected individuals are more likely to spead, settle and stay viable. "

"Meat factories and slaughterhouses are locations where people are engaged in higher levels of physical activity, and where maintaining physical distancing in internal spaces will be difficult...may increase the likelihood of transmission."

"Substantial air movement that exists in or across many slaughterhouses and meat plants could be another explanation" .

We have vegetable and fruit processing plants in the US that now have extreme outbreaks, as well as fish and shellfish processors. Since it's very unlikely a mammalian coronavirus can cross the species barrier to clams and salmon, I'm thinking the cold as well.

Some links to some of the recent American outbreaks in fruit, vegetable, and fish processing plants -- all of which seem to have FROZEN, not canned, food production as their main activity.

www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/65-coronavirus-cases-reported-at-pacific-seafood-facility-in-newport.html

www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/local/coronavirus-dole-outbreak-springfield-nears-300-three-local-zip-codes-are-labeled-hot-spots/NQi5dGqRusLfGDL5sX3HPI/

www.kptv.com/news/84-cases-of-covid-19-reported-after-outbreak-at-vancouver-fruit-processing-plant/article_97df7ba0-9f90-11ea-a676-6f38551bbd87.html

spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/coronavirus/2020/06/20/dozens-of-covid-cases-linked-to-oswego-county-fruit-processing-plant

sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/05/26/coronavirus-cluster-discovered-at-morgan-hill-fish-processing-plant/

komonews.com/news/local/covid-19-outbreak-at-kittitas-co-processing-plant-foils-recovery

www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/albany-frozen-foods-coronavirus-plant-covid-19/283-350a1bdb-e482-4a97-8b2c-e0c66db560dd

Unfortunately, on the above, it is looking like a rough winter ahead.

If you want to keep samples of a virus, you freeze them. Go figure...

Plus all the other factors mentioned re the working environment ... surely none of this is really new or surprising?

I'm not sure air circulation has been mentioned-freezers have to be kept cold. In those factories there will be very little new air circulating. That is the opposite of the advice given to open windows in homes.