View Full Version : COVID-19 in Rural Counties
dado potato
4-9-20, 9:29pm
As of 4/6/20 there has been at least one positive test in two-thirds of the rural counties, and at least one death due to COVID-19 in one-tenth of the rural counties in the USA. (Source: New York Times)
Confirmed cases per 100,000 population is less than urban areas, but this is on the increase in rural counties.
The NY Times reported a lingering attitude of denial: Being from a small town, you think it's never going to reach you. My own observation is that when the weather is nice, the boys still gather in the town park, shoot a few hoops, call up their buddies to join in, and soon there are 8 or 10 players on the outdoor court. (They look like the "the picture of health".)
The mayor of Mangum OK, population 6,000, Mary Jane Scott, tells how a visiting pastor from Tulsa came one Sunday to lead worship in a local church. Shortly after he returned to Tulsa, he got sick, and he became Oklahoma's first COVID-19 fatality. Then somebody at the local church got sick and tested positive. Several other church members tested positive. The local nursing home had a cluster of cases. In sum, the town of Mangum had 3 deaths, and 26 residents who tested positive to date.
Mayor Scott said, I thought I was safe here in Southwest Oklahoma. I did not think there would be a big issue with it, and all of a sudden, bam! Mangum now has an emergency shelter-in-place order and curfew. The mayor uses Facebook to post daily updates and advisories. At 7 PM nightly she asks residents of Mangum to step out on their front yards and and join in singing "God Bless America".
Living not far away from rural areas and knowing folks who still live there, that "it can't happen here" viewpoint kind of amazes me. The trucks and drivers that load up the Dairy Queen and the Subway and the Dollar General come from bigger cities. People's kids come from the cities back to the farm for holidays or to help mom and dad move off the farm or just to visit. There may be space outside the bigger cities, but people still get together, often with less space between them just because there are fewer places to go.
Local health systems quickly find themselves overwhelmed because there just isn't any excess capacity. In fact, the decades-long people drain that rural areas have endured have left them with lots of marginal services, including public roads, social services, and telecommunications, not just hospitals. In most places, there just isn't the population base to support more than the minimum. COVID-19 could be really bad in rural areas if they do not flatten the curve.
My suspicion is that rural areas have more positive cases than the numbers tell, but are a distance from any facility able to do testing. Unlike here where we have drive up testing locations. Although I don't doubt there could be an advantage to living in a more sparsely populated place.
Counties near me are having a problem with people out of work flooding the country to recreate, even though our Governor has explicitly told people that stay at home means not to drive to the mountains to ski, hike, raft, etc. No doubt these people stop in the small towns for gas or snacks or groceries or beer. That sort of takes the advantage of isolation away. One county has closed all county roads, excluding main arteries, to non residents. River based activities like rafting are prohibited in one. Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed for weeks for similar reasons.
As of 4/6/20 there has been at least one positive test in two-thirds of the rural counties, and at least one death due to COVID-19 in one-tenth of the rural counties in the USA. (Source: New York Times)
Confirmed cases per 100,000 population is less than urban areas, but this is on the increase in rural counties. .
Yup. The President has commented multiple times what a great job Idaho is doing. Well, he made people disregard warnings and recommendations. Community spread in many rural counties. So yes, the count is low, but the spread is wide and it will climb. Testing availability sucks. Results take for friggin' EVER! 15 days is stupid ridiculous and getting a test is tough because so few are available. But I wont' go on cuz it totally pisses me off!!!!
dado potato
4-9-20, 10:34pm
Often the young people leave rural communities for urban areas, leaving behind a population Such as are of Riper Years, who would be at risk of a higher death rate from COVID-19.
One such community is Grand Isle, at the southern tip of Jefferson Parish, LA. Grand Isle is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, home to 1,300 residents, mainly 50 to 90 years old. Since April 2 there has been a checkpoint on the road, located at the Grand Isle Welcome Sign, to keep out any vehicle containing people who don't have proof of residence, or workers who don't have proof of employment there. Mayor David Camardelle said, We are going to make sure we protect our people.
http://www.townofgrandisle.com/grand-isle-enforces-checkpoint-and-curfew-effective-on-april-2-2020-at-noon
Sonora Shepherd
4-9-20, 11:07pm
Gardnr, bless you for saying that! I am afraid that community spread sort of lagging the cities is going to keep this going longer than it needs to. We live in Lane County, Oregon, in Florence, and so far really low numbers, but no testing available here. Local newspaper has information that there are probably seven cases here, but since we are considered rural the county can't say where. A friend has a brother who works in the emergency room locally and says there have been a lot of cases that they think are coronavirus, but no testing. Either they drive 100 miles to Springfield or go home and gut it out. It is SO FRUSTRATING.
iris lilies
4-9-20, 11:27pm
My suspicion is that rural areas have more positive cases than the numbers tell, but are a distance from any facility able to do testing. Unlike here where we have drive up testing locations. Although I don't doubt there could be an advantage to living in a more sparsely populated place.
Counties near me are having a problem with people out of work flooding the country to recreate, even though our Governor has explicitly told people that stay at home means not to drive to the mountains to ski, hike, raft, etc. No doubt these people stop in the small towns for gas or snacks or groceries or beer. That sort of takes the advantage of isolation away. One county has closed all county roads, excluding main arteries, to non residents. River based activities like rafting are prohibited in one. Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed for weeks for similar reasons.
They have drive up testing in tiny Hermann, Missouri, pop 2500. Rural flyover country.
We in the other Grand isle (not LA), were one of two counties in VT that had 0 reported cases--and then they set up a mobile testing unit and a week later, 13 had been tested--one was positive. So, yes, the numbers are reflective of the testing--not the true infection rate.
We are vulnerable to a false sense of security, but I see people really buckling down here. Wearing masks, social distancing. The supermarket has curbside pickup only. There are checkpoints at the crossings. A couple of crusty old-timers have been writing letters saying we shouldn't let "those New Yorkers" cross on the ferry to infect us all. Maybe we're more buttoned down than some rural counties because of our proximity to New York and also Burlington.
Our county trails, which were the old rail lines, that run through the whole area have just been shut down. Out-of-towners were coming to hike in them because all walking parks and trails had been closed in their high density areas. Fine if found on the trail - $5,000! Why don't people understand? - STAY HOME!!!!
Our county trails, which were the old rail lines, that run through the whole area have just been shut down. Out-of-towners were coming to hike in them because all walking parks and trails had been closed in their high density areas. Fine if found on the trail - $5,000! Why don't people understand? - STAY HOME!!!!
Sounds like Canada has a different approach than many parts of US, where people are encouraged now to go out and hike the trails during the lockdown.
I guess things are different there.
Sounds like Canada has a different approach than many parts of US, where people are encouraged now to go out and hike the trails during the lockdown.
I guess things are different there.
Groups of people are meeting on the trails. Our shutdown is province wide. Stay home!
dado potato
4-10-20, 11:04am
The Ice Age Trail remains open, but all the staff now work from home. Work days for volunteers and events are canceled. Stay-at-home volunteer activities (like working on the newsletter) carries on.
While the trail is open, many of the trailhead parking areas in Wisconsin are on public land, which have been closed by order of Governor Evers.
No event is too small or too important not to cancel.
http://www.iceagetrail.org/coronavirus-covid-19-and-the-ice-age-trail
Here is our local National Park Guidelines. Thing like restrooms and visitors centers are closed. Some trails remain open:
Following guidance from the CDC and recommendations from state and local public health authorities in consultation with NPS Public Health Service Officers, the following facilities and services are suspended until further notice:
All park restrooms, the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, and the Platte River and White Pine Backcountry Campgrounds are closed.
Where it is possible to adhere to the latest federal, state, and local health guidance, outdoor spaces will remain accessible to the public, including: all park trails and beaches.
The NPS encourages people who choose to visit the national parks during this pandemic to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) and state and local public health authorities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles (https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-trace-seven-principles.htm), including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy. See more information at www.nps.gov/coronavirus (http://www.nps.gov/coronavirus).
Gardnr, bless you for saying that! I am afraid that community spread sort of lagging the cities is going to keep this going longer than it needs to. We live in Lane County, Oregon, in Florence, and so far really low numbers, but no testing available here. Local newspaper has information that there are probably seven cases here, but since we are considered rural the county can't say where. A friend has a brother who works in the emergency room locally and says there have been a lot of cases that they think are coronavirus, but no testing. Either they drive 100 miles to Springfield or go home and gut it out. It is SO FRUSTRATING.
I've been hearing from RNs on coastal OR. (I am in a FB RN group to discuss COVID). It is horrid and infuriating. I wish THIS would make national news. At least we have SOME testing.
I wonder how you leave no trace if the bathrooms are locked. People will be peeing and pooping in the woods.
Teacher Terry
4-11-20, 2:48pm
You bag your poop and carry it out just like you do for dogs. On the west coast when you hike trails there are no bathrooms. You are in the mountains.
dado potato
4-11-20, 3:17pm
USA Today published an item on the effect of COVID-19 on rural policing.
I am not aware of any place where it has happened, but there is a risk that the virus could "wipe out" the entire police force in a rural county.
Manistee, MI, population 6,000, a fabulous place for patches of pumpkins, has a police force of 12 officers, of which, 3 tested positive and 3 others are quarantined. The Sheriff reduced the number of officers responding to calls at certain times of the day or night.
I have assumed that a local sheriff could call upon the state police force for mutual aid and support, if the number of officers locally fit for duty fell below a critical level. But I wonder now.
Vail, Colorado, Police Chief Dwight Henninger was quoted in the article: Losing an entire police force would force community members to self-police... As I understand it, every Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff swears an oath to uphold the United States Constitution and the State Constitution. When community members self-police, would they be sworn to do likewise?
My dog is from Manistee. I'm sure other localities are pitching in to help them. We are very interconnected up here, and one town helps the other. Lots of small municipalities.
You bag your poop and carry it out just like you do for dogs. On the west coast when you hike trails there are no bathrooms. You are in the mountains.
What about the urine?
What about the urine?
Not sure about other people but I use trees when I’m out hiking.
Urine can be bad for plants. I had a neighbor tell me grass wouldn't grow in a spot in her lawn that the neighborhood dogs frequented. So people who pee in the woods are leaving a trace. Not that I haven't done it, but you can't say leave no trace and then lock the bathrooms.
Urine can be bad for plants. I had a neighbor tell me grass wouldn't grow in a spot in her lawn that the neighborhood dogs frequented. So people who pee in the woods are leaving a trace. Not that I haven't done it, but you can't say leave no trace and then lock the bathrooms.
"Leave no trace" has been used since at least 1970 (I remember hearing it) and had a specific meaning on the trail, as in don't leave paper etc. It did not mean to avoid urinating or defecating on the trail (well, hopefully off the trail!) as that is what animals do, and we are, after all, animals.
Urine can be bad for plants. I had a neighbor tell me grass wouldn't grow in a spot in her lawn that the neighborhood dogs frequented. So people who pee in the woods are leaving a trace. Not that I haven't done it, but you can't say leave no trace and then lock the bathrooms.
Urine can actually be a good source of nitrogen if you dilute it enough and don't use it every day. The problem with dog pee is they typically hit the same bush every day, and obviously it's full-strength pee. I had a neighbor who moved in to our neighborhood--I suspect from an urban area or an apartment complex--because it was obvious she didn't think through some of her landscaping choices. She planted a whole host of beautiful little shrubs and perennials along the street and they were dead in the matter of months from the dogs and dog walkers.
When I had a dog I renamed my peony to "pee-on-me" because that's what our dog always did. But I tried to NEVER let my dog pee on other people's bushes.
dado potato
4-15-20, 12:56pm
More highway checkpoints limiting access to people with proof of residence or essential business:
Monroe County (Florida Keys)
Crow Indian Reservation (south of Billings MT)
Maui County HI
In North Carolina:
Dare County (Outer Banks)
Carteret County (Beaufort)
Graham County (Joyce Kilmer National Forest & Cheoah Bald)
There are many other checkpoints that are informational, stopping vehicles with out-of-state license plates. Typically they ask drivers if they know the orders or policies of the state, and they may ask for the address of where the occupants will quarantine for 14 days. These checkpoints do not go so far as to require proof of residency or essential business (and turn vehicles back that do not have the required proof).
Valley County Idaho: license plates outside this county will be stopped and likely issued a misdemeanor ticket. Some dipshit from Seattle flew his plane here last week. After he landed, he was promptly instructed to go home-and not happy about it. Seattle was the first hotspot in the country! What a self-absorbed human. (It is a small rural airport and flight plans don't happen).
We're still having dorks fly into our little village airport here on the island, often from Seattle, walk into the village, and then look upset to find most of the stores are closed, and the few that are open give them the stink-eye. The take-out ice-cream/hot dog shop won't serve them.
The Islands have been closed to all but essential travel for weeks now... Signs posted at the ferry, campgrounds and parks closed, short-term vacation rentals shut down, hotels shut down.
Everyone and their brother and their brother's friends have decided that a remote island with three cemeteries and no hospital beds is the ideal place to ride out the storm. Morons.
Everyone and their brother and their brother's friends have decided that a remote island with three cemeteries and no hospital beds is the ideal place to ride out the storm. Morons.
the complete disrespect by those w/money to burn is infuriating. The critical access hospital is full on a regular basis. It serves a huge geographical area and cannot handle an influx of COVID.
Blaine County was the first in Idaho to get hit. It struck healthcare and first responders so quickly, the hospital closed except ER. Anyone requiring care gets flown/driven 100miles south to the next facility.
Teacher Terry
4-15-20, 3:07pm
The same thing is happening in truckee California. Rich people from the Bay Area are coming to their second homes.
The same thing is happening in truckee California. Rich people from the Bay Area are coming to their second homes.
I will fully admit that I am at our mountain home. (We are not rich people). We are sheltering-in just like we do in town. No getting take-out. No walking in town. No gas. No stops along the way. I believe we are not putting this community at risk with our presence in our own home.
iris lilies
4-15-20, 6:56pm
I will fully admit that I am at our mountain home. (We are not rich people). We are sheltering-in just like we do in town. No getting take-out. No walking in town. No gas. No stops along the way. I believe we are not putting this community at risk with our presence in our own home.
yes, we do the same thing. Unfortunately DH will not listen to me and he insists on getting gas and groceries in our small town.I cant change him. So I gave him the grocery list and have him do our household shopping, trying to plan for two weeks. Where it not for him insisting on milk and bananas we could easily go two weeks.
Teacher Terry
4-15-20, 9:17pm
The Bay Area has a higher level of virus and people aren’t staying home making truckee a hot spot. My ex went to his fishing house but did the same as you G. Plus when they left Wichita had few cases and they have mostly at the fishing house before all this happened.
dado potato
4-16-20, 11:26am
Independent rural grocery stores and pharmacies are having difficulties replenishing their stock. The community might be over 50 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart, but the local merchant is at a disadvantage versus the big box competitor. Local grocers and pharmacists tell of their orders of merchandise being cut in half by the supplier (receiving an "allocation") or not being filled at all.
As a consequence, their shelves are empty of certain items. When the rural stores are able to put merchandise out, it's sold within 10 minutes.
source:
http://sports.yahoo.com/really-perfect-storm-coronavirus-comes-083043435.html
Independent rural grocery stores and pharmacies are having difficulties replenishing their stock. The community might be over 50 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart, but the local merchant is at a disadvantage versus the big box competitor. Local grocers and pharmacists tell of their orders of merchandise being cut in half by the supplier (receiving an "allocation") or not being filled at all.
As a consequence, their shelves are empty of certain items. When the rural stores are able to put merchandise out, it's sold within 10 minutes.
source:
http://sports.yahoo.com/really-perfect-storm-coronavirus-comes-083043435.html
Here they are still getting enough. It's the big city asshats stripping the stores for 2 weeks until these folks put limits on nearly everything. So now locals are having to shop multiple times per week to feed their families instead of the once every 1-2w habit. It sucks!
catherine
4-16-20, 11:45am
Our little stores have had very minor disruptions. We are eating fine and get almost everything we ask for online. These stores are independent, larger than a convenience store, but priced lower.
My neighbor, who lives in another Vermont town most of the year, texted me to ask if sheriffs are driving around enforcing social distancing and I could only say "Who knows? I've been to the market 3 times in 2 weeks."
I have hit my regular "basic food" budget already because these supermarkets are more costly than chain stores or Costco, but I can steal the $200 from my "Splurge Food" budget and it's a wash.
Marion Co TN 26 confirmed cases, 1 death.
I am shopping once a week during the 6am-7am senior time at Walmart.
Husband goes out way to much. I've given up on talking to him about it.
Daughter's hair salon closed and the liquor store next door still in business.
Small businesses like hers will not survive if closed for too long.
I am ready to take my chances if the other choice is living like this...…………..
Teacher Terry
4-17-20, 12:41pm
At first my husband wasn’t taking it serious enough. I told him if I get it and die it’s his fault. Now he has been home for 5 weeks. That got through to him.
iris lily
4-18-20, 11:26am
Our little stores have had very minor disruptions. We are eating fine and get almost everything we ask for online. These stores are independent, larger than a convenience store, but priced lower.
My neighbor, who lives in another Vermont town most of the year, texted me to ask if sheriffs are driving around enforcing social distancing and I could only say "Who knows? I've been to the market 3 times in 2 weeks."
I have hit my regular "basic food" budget already because these supermarkets are more costly than chain stores or Costco, but I can steal the $200 from my "Splurge Food" budget and it's a wash.
Twice now this week I have noticed city police cars sitting obviously by our city park. I wonder if they have been instructed to periodically observe citizens in the Park to make sure appropriate distance is maintained.
dado potato
4-18-20, 3:15pm
I have noticed city police cars sitting obviously by our city park. I wonder if they have been instructed to periodically observe citizens in the Park to make sure appropriate distance is maintained.
"To serve and protect"...
With cell phones it does not take much effort to get 10 guys together on an outdoor basketball court, when the weather is nice. I have seen a patrol officer get out of his car to speak to a group of basketballers. I did not hear what was said, but I imagine that the officer advised the players of the "safer at home" policy, and recommended that they all go home. The players left the park in 4 cars and on one bicycle.
iris lilies
4-18-20, 6:43pm
"To serve and protect"...
With cell phones it does not take much effort to get 10 guys together on an outdoor basketball court, when the weather is nice. I have seen a patrol officer get out of his car to speak to a group of basketballers. I did not hear what was said, but I imagine that the officer advised the players of the "safer at home" policy, and recommended that they all go home. The players left the park in 4 cars and on one bicycle.
Here in the land of race politics, if you made that same statement on Nextdoor, there is a 50% chance it would be reported as racist.
We do not have a basketball court in our city park. Race politics.
AND....another dead RN. She insisted on testing but didn't meet "the criteria". They finally gave up and tested her 4d ago. Result had not been reported to her directly as she was found dead in her home yesterday. WTF:|(:(
If you think there is sufficient testing, you are DEAD WRONG!
It’s also more nuanced than that.
There’s about 30% false negatives early in the disease. We don’t know when the testing becomes more accurate. Also there’s a 2 week incubation period. Also even with testing there’s no good treatment. Also even with a positive test, if your symptoms are not too bad they send you home anyway with identical advice.
I’m not sure if a test would have changed the outcome in this person’s death.
It also is true there’s not enough tests.
We have multiple simultaneous conflicting and aggravating true things.
Teacher Terry
4-24-20, 12:51pm
I read a story about a 31 year old Chinese PA that got it and was hospitalized. He was dying but had both family in China that were doctors and friends here that constantly called his doctors directing his care. One guy translated Chinese protocol into English for his doctors. It took time to convince the doctors to follow the protocols but once they did he recovered quickly. Regular people just die. Sorry G.
dado potato
4-24-20, 2:31pm
NPR radio "Morning Edition" aired a report from Fredonia KS (pop 2,482). Explained how the distance from major urban centers could give a rural community a false sense of safety in the COVID-19 epidemic. Travel and contact with bigger cities will eventually bring the virus to rural communities where it has not been detected previously. The health facilities in the rural community would be quickly overwhelmed by an outbreak. (Fredonia's local hospital has 25 beds, one ventilator.)
http://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/814917520/rural-towns-insulated-from-coronavirus-now-may-take-a-harder-hit-later
in our fairly rural county of 93,000, we have 19 cases and 5 deaths to date.
That is a lot of deaths, 26% of the positive cases to date have died.
Regular people just die. Sorry G.
Regular Nurses just die too:(
Thank God none of our positive cases involve healthcare workers.
It’s also more nuanced than that.
There’s about 30% false negatives early in the disease. We don’t know when the testing becomes more accurate. Also there’s a 2 week incubation period. Also even with testing there’s no good treatment. Also even with a positive test, if your symptoms are not too bad they send you home anyway with identical advice.
I’m not sure if a test would have changed the outcome in this person’s death.
It also is true there’s not enough tests.
We have multiple simultaneous conflicting and aggravating true things.
Also the testing never ends. I have heard that some places want to test healthcare workers daily. If you do an antibody test it's one and you're done, but try getting one. I have and can't.
ApatheticNoMore
4-24-20, 5:32pm
They don't even know for sure how reliable the antibody tests are now is what is reported.
They don't even know for sure how reliable the antibody tests are now is what is reported.
We do know for sure that there are lots of unlicensed, untested antibody tests being sold, and used and processed improperly.
Let a thousand snake-oil salesmen prosper under the benevolent oversight of our Federal government.
dado potato
4-25-20, 2:43pm
Hog slaughtering plants are being shut down due to COVID-19. The usual assumption is that after a deep cleaning and installing some safe-distancing measures, the plants will re-open and the workers will come back. As I understand it, workers who are unemployed due to COVID-19 would qualify for an average of $380/week in state unemployment benefits, topped up with $600/week bonus benefit from CARES Act. So the incentive to stay home (albeit "looking for work") would be $980/week.
The counties where hog, beef and chicken processing plants are located have a rate of COVID-19 infection 75% greater than than the US average, according to reporting in USA Today. It seems likely that more closures will occur in future. For hog farmers, already 15% of the nation's hog slaughtering plants are shut down. Hog farmers who have market-ready pigs and no place to sell to, must contemplate culling. USA Today estimated that hundreds of thousands of pigs are about to be culled. By the first week of May, we can expect significantly higher retail prices and reduced quantities of pork products available for sale. Predictably, big box retailers will be better able to stock their shelves than smaller retail stores.
Conditions of excess capacity also have affected dairy farms (dumping milk) and broiler operations (breaking eggs).
Are the workers being furloughed or outright let go. If it's the former they will have little choice but to come back to work once the plat reopens since their unemployment checks will stop at that point.
dado potato
4-25-20, 11:04pm
Are the workers being furloughed or outright let go. If it's the former they will have little choice but to come back to work once the plat reopens since their unemployment checks will stop at that point.
From various articles reporting on specific plants, I gather that usually the workers are furloughed or "compensated while the plant is closed".
One of the aspects of reopening a plant is to test the workers before they return to work. It may be that workers who test positive would need to be quarantined if symptom-free. The plants may have the option of re-opening and operating on a reduced number of shifts, if there is a lack of workers who test negative.
dado potato
4-27-20, 9:15am
Tyson Foods bought a full-page ad in the New York Times and the Washington Post: the corporate view of culling.
Millions of animals -- chickens, pigs, and cattle -- will be depopulated because of closure of our processing facilities.
... There will be a limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed.
Tyson Foods recently closed pork processing plants in Waterloo IA and Logansport IN. Other companies that have idled pork processing plants include:
Smithfield Foods, Sioux Falls, SD
JBS, Worthington MN
About 85% of pork processing capacity remains operational. But there is a risk that public health officials tracing contacts of people who test positive will observe other abattoirs that have been sites for the spread of the virus.
As processing plants are idle, theoretically prices will go up for the processed meat product, at the same time prices will go down for the livestock producer. I can see the public relations advantages of the advertising... get in front of the predictable news reports of bare shelves at the meat counter ... and the alarm reaction of consumers to higher prices.
SteveinMN
4-27-20, 10:11am
My take on the Tyson CEO's comments on this topic is that he's a little excitable. I suppose it's his bonuses at stake.... Tyson is not the only meat processor in the country. While the CEO identifies a very real threat in the spread of the coronavirus in meat-processing facilities, and while I do expect spot shortages, particularly at smaller grocery stores, I do not expect to see linear foot upon linear foot of empty coolers.
As I wrote in a post on another thread here, I suspect the greatest damage to Tyson (and companies like it) will be to their bottom line, as they have to increase the space between workers (an issue well before the coronavirus showed up) and provide more documentation of where the animal came from, who did what with it at the plant, and where it ended up for sale (this, too, an issue well before this year; cf. annual recalls of ground beef). They may no longer have the luxury of treating their workers as disposable drones.
The Tyson CEO also seems to forget that, if people don't find pork chops in a cooler near them, they'll buy hamburger or steaks or chicken breasts or even fish. They won't go hungry. Pork seems to hit the unlucky spot in the food chain; you can leave a cow in the field longer if you need to; you can "depopulate" (nice euphemism there but I eat meat so I won't poke too hard) the chicken herd quickly and easily; hog production is not that flexible.
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