Our new article is out documenting the burden of the #pandemic on food service workers.
What it boils down to is fighting an #AIRBORNE virus with droplet dogma.
I will walk you through some of the more shocking highlights. 1/ 🧵
During the BA.1 Omicron wave, for example, food service workers could often get free #HandSanitizer.
Yet, free high-quality masks (e.g., #N95) were hard to come by.
N95s prevent people from inhaling airborne virus into their lungs. Hand sanitizer does not.
2/
With a lack of #PublicHealth guidance, many in the food service industry have faced decision fatigue in handling C0VID-related issues.
Participants said co-workers struggle with what to do if sick (87%), when to return to work (83%), or whether to get a booster (61%). 3/
Food service workers have expressed that C0VID has had a big impact on co-workers' #MentalHealth.
Anxiety, depression, and substance use lead the way. However, many respondents also noted a co-worker dealing with #bereavement, suicidal ideation, or violence (17-36%). 4/
Shortly after the BA.1 Omicron surge, many in the food service industry were aware of a co-worker dealing with #LongCOVID.
"Fatigue" (often EXHAUSTION) led the way. Many knew a co-worker with prolonged loss of taste or smell, which are huge to that occupation. 5/
In the more recent days of the pandemic, food service workers emphasized that a key priority was reducing in-home spread of C0VID.
Experts you know from Twitter provided their guidance on reducing in-home spread. Here's a link to another resource.
🔹800-1,400 deaths expected to result from this week's infections (new stat, see video next Tweet)
🔹100,000+ Long Covid conditions to result from this week's infections
🔹1 in 142 actively infectious today
🧵2 of 5
PMC Dashboard, March 31, 2025 (U.S.)
This video explains U.S. COVID excess death statistics, which we have incorporated into the dashboard.
🔥109,000-175,000 people in the U.S. are expected to die as a result of COVID in 2025, based on estimates derived from Swiss Re
🔥COVID deaths expected to be on par with lung cancer in the U.S. in 2025
🔥Death data added to the dashboard
2) Full video links to learn more about COVID #ExcessDeaths in the U.S.
🔹3 million new weekly infections in a persistent "lull" of substantial transmission
🔹1 in 107 (0.9%) of the population actively infectious
🔹1 in 3 regions in high/very high transmission (16 states and DC)
PMC Dashboard, Mar 24, 2025 (U.S.)
🧵2/5
We have had a steady state of about a half million infections the past several weeks. That's over 50 million estimated infections so far in 2025.
In a room of 40-50 people, there's a 1-in-3 chance of exposure if no testing/isolation.
PMC Dashboard, Mar 24, 2025 (U.S.)
🧵3/5
There's a good chance of steady transmission the next month. Often, we'd head into a low lull about now. BUT there are no universal precautions, immunity is waning from the fall & winter 2023-24, & viral evolution looks less 'lucky.'
It was before the pandemic declaration, before the federal government recommended masking.
COVlD spread quickly through New Orleans, leading to one of the highest mortality rates per capita in the U.S....
2) New Orleans service workers were disproportionately hit by the early pandemic. Many died. Many developed #LongCOVID at the time or have now through repeat infections. Many have switched to other sectors....
3) The sad fact is that many service workers are continuing to get #LongCOVID through repeat infections today because the pandemic is ongoing and many restaurants have high occupant density and horrendous air quality....
🔥1 in 72 actively infectious
🔥Sustained high transmission
🔥30 states in high/very high transmission (CDC)
🔥3x the transmission of Feb 2021
🔥668,000 daily infections
🔥Only 1 in 28 cases reported
2) PMC COVlD Dashboard, Feb 17, 2025 (U.S.)
This is a mid-sized wave, meaning substantial transmission. Notice that transmission remains steady at high rates.
Expect steady or slightly declining transmission, unless the real-time data are retroactively corrected.
3) PMC COVlD Dashboard, Feb 17, 2025 (U.S.)
Notice that 30 states remain in high/very high transmission, per CDC categories.
This is the same as last week. Transmission is 3x higher than in Feb 2021, when people were taking more precautions around masking and testing.