7 Things to Help You Respond to a Positive Case of COVID on the Farm
As COVID-19 continues to run its course around the country, farms need to not only work on implementing prevention practices, but also prepare for how to respond if one or multiple employees were to test positive for COVID-19.
“While COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment planning is underway, it will be a while until an effective vaccine is available to the general public,” says Heather Fowler, director of producer and public health at the National Pork Board.
She recommends these seven tips to help your farm be prepared to deal with COVID-19.
1. Create a plan for how your farm will handle significant absenteeism.
Not only does this mean covering essential duties in caring for animals, but it also means cross-training employees to be able to cover for each other in the case of illness and/or quarantines.
2. Review CDC guidelines for agriculture settings to help reduce the risk for disease spread.
Urge workers to practice safe habits at home, including following social distancing recommendations outside of the farm. Encourage sick workers to stay home. If they are diagnosed with influenza, don’t allow them to enter the swine facilities until fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. If diagnosed with or in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, refer to the CDC’s strategy for quarantine and/or isolation and returning to work.
3. Review federal guidelines regularly.
Stay up to date on federal guidelines as it relates to work safety and health, worker protections and protecting health data as outlined by CDC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
4. Develop protocols for cleaning and disinfecting.
Pay special attention to increase cleaning and disinfecting practices in shared spaces and high contact surfaces.
5. Conduct a risk assessment of your workplace.
Implement practices to help reduce the potential transmission of the virus, including social distancing policies and face coverings.
6. Screen employees.
Consider screening your employees, recognizing that some individuals may not show symptoms.
7. Plan for community and media response if you have positive COVID-19 cases on your farm.
If you need help crafting a response, check out these tools at pork.org/covid19.
Don’t forget to communicate this plan with your employees so they can see what you are doing to help protect them in the workplace.
“As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, and as peak influenza season approaches, communicating with employees and others around the health and safety practices on your farm is critical,” Fowler says.
More from Farm Journal's PORK:
3 Ways to Support Your Immunity During a Crisis
It’s Anyone’s Game: How Will the U.S. Pork Industry Diversify Pork Exports?
