I can't count the number of presentations I have seen or articles I have had regarding poultry biosecurity. I am sure the same could be said for many within the livestock industry, making them a knowledgeable source to some extent.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many recommendations floating around about how individuals should protect themselves, many of which have reminded me of steps taken on a poultry farm. Is this a time where a company could be very transparent and help consumers relate to the farm, therefore generating credibility/trust between producers and the general public?
Obviously, we have all been told to stay home and minimize gatherings. Poultry farms do this daily by documenting the number of people that come in and out of the barns or enter gated areas.
There is not currently a vaccine for COVID-19, but maybe producers could use this opportunity to explain why vaccines are needed to keep birds and other livestock healthy and in return make sure products remain available on shelves.
I hope that the medical field will soon find a vaccine for COVID-19 and that anti-vaxxers will then understand why pandemics like we are living in now, are the reason these vaccines are needed.
I read something this morning that said individuals should take their clothes off in the garage and shower as soon as they get home. This sounds a lot like the shower-in, shower-out method so many of us are familiar with. Not to mention, we have all seen the posters about proper handwashing after having contact with animals, and those tips could be useful to consumers now.
I also read that the virus can be carried on your shoes for multiple days. Perhaps families should consider using some sort of foot bath like many use to go into parts of various barns.
Processing plants have mastered the cleaning process between shifts; could these methods be useful in helping families clean their homes more frequently?
There have been suggestions on how to clean the products people bring home from the grocery store. It is not likely that everyone can use UV sanitation lights as many do within commercial barns, but producers and other agriculture professionals are experts at providing consumers with safe food, so surely someone could provide them with methods for cleaning food from the store.
I’m sure I am only touching the surface of possibilities here.
I have noticed a lot of companies are providing agriculture-related educational worksheets to kids that currently can't go to school, perhaps something on biosecurity could be next?
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