Washington, Oct 20 (IANS) : A new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that more Hispanic workers at food processing and manufacturing plants were being affected by Covid-19 compared to workers of other races or ethnicities.
In the study released on Monday, the CDC said that among the food manufacturing and agriculture workers with Covid-19, 72.8 per cent were Hispanic or Latino, 6.3 per cent were non-Hispanic Black, and 4.1 per cent were non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander.
It said the figures suggested that Hispanic or Latino, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander workers in these workplaces might be disproportionately affected by the disease.
A survey of meat and poultry plants and similar settings across the US found that nearly 73 per cent of people diagnosed with coronavirus were Hispanic or Latino, 6.3 per cent were Black and 4.1 per cent were Asian or Pacific Islander.
The survey revealed that a total of 742 food and agriculture workplaces in 30 US states, 8,978 workers had contracted the disease, while 55 others died.
The study was a result of information collected from state health departments about workers with confirmed Covid-19 in food processing and manufacturing plants and agricultural settings between March 1 and May 31.
“Our study supports findings from prior reports that part of the disproportionate burden of Covid-19 among some racial and ethnic minority groups is likely related to occupational risk,” the researchers said in a joint statement.
“These findings should be considered when implementing workplace interventions to ensure communication and training are culturally and linguistically tailored for each workforce
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