1516 - Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 among Migrant Farm Workers in North Florida

Background: Migrant farmworkers have been identified as a vulnerable population for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Novel Coronavirus-2 infection (SARS-CoV-2). The objectives of this study were to detect the SARS-CoV-2 infection (COV19) status among 262 migrant farmworkers in North Florida.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the information gathered from migrant workers referred by the Florida Dept. of Health for evaluation. Due to the urgency of returning to Mexico, subjects with which COV19 was detected were reevaluated for detailed medical history. Therefore, subjects that tested negative were later released following CDC guidelines. COV19 status was determined using an RNA qualitative nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) from nasopharyngeal swabs collected over a three-day period. Variables collected include demography, symptoms, temperature, comorbidities, medication use, and vaccine status. Statistical significance for categorical variables was assessed using χ² test or Fisher’s exact test where appropriate. Remaining variables were assessed using basic descriptive analysis.

Results: From the 262 subjects tested, 6 missed the follow up visit and data was unavailable. All were Mexican males, age 18-67 years, with positivity rate of 35.1%. Among the 92 (+) subjects, the average age was 34.1 years and 34.5 among the 164 (-) subjects, (p=< 0.77). The symptoms and temperatures are in Table 1. Three of the 92 COV19 (+) subjects were hospitalized, non-ICU and made an uneventful recovery. 59.8% of COV19 (+) subjects were asymptomatic. Among the 92 (+) subjects, 20.7% reported using acetaminophen within the last 60 days. The most common reported comorbidity was being a former smoker or current smoker, at 12.0% and 4.3% respectively.Table 1: Characteristics of migrant workers with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection


Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted migrant workers as a vulnerable population with astronomical COV19 rates, compared to others in FL (14/100,000). They are impoverished, uneducated, undocumented, uninsured and employed to perform arduous physical labor and it is essential to provide basic healthcare to prevent the spread of COV19.