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Volume 27, Number 5—May 2021
Research

Prevalence and Clinical Profile of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection among Farmworkers, California, USA, June–November 2020

Joseph A. Lewnard1Comments to Author , Ana M. Mora1, Oguchi Nkwocha, Katherine Kogut, Stephen A. Rauch, Norma Morga, Samantha Hernandez, Marcus P. Wong, Karen Huen, Kristin Andrejko, Nicholas P. Jewell, Kimberly L. Parra, Nina Holland, Eva Harris, Maximiliano Cuevas, Brenda Eskenazi, and on behalf of the CHAMACOS-Project-19 Study Team2
Author affiliations: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA (J.A. Lewnard, A.M. Mora, K. Kogut, S.A. Rauch, S. Hernandez, M.P. Wong, K. Huen, K. Andrejko, N.P. Jewell, N. Holland, E. Harris, B. Eskenazi); Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica (A.M. Mora); Clínica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, Salinas, California, USA (O. Nkwocha, N. Morga, M. Cuevas); London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK (N.P. Jewell); University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA (K.L. Parra)

Main Article

Table 1

Place of residence, living conditions, and working and transportation conditions that could lead to SARS-CoV-2 exposure among farmworkers enrolled in a cross-sectional study, Monterey County, California, USA, July 16–November 30, 2020*

Characteristics Enrollees, no. (%)
All, n = 1,115 Clinic, n = 565 Outreach, n = 550
Community of residence
Salinas 492 (44.1) 263 (46.5) 229 (41.6)
Northern Monterey County 73 (6.5) 18 (3.2) 55 (10.0)
Southern Monterey County 539 (48.3) 284 (50.3) 255 (46.4)
Outside Monterey County
11 (1.0)
0
11
Household size n = 1,115 n = 565 n = 550
0 others 12 (1.1) 8 (1.4) 4 (0.7)
1–3 others 399 (35.8) 187 (33.1) 212 (38.6)
4–6 others 515 (46.2) 259 (45.8) 256 (46.5)
>7 others
189 (17.0)
111 (19.7)
78 (14.2)
Children in household n = 1,114 n = 565 n = 549
Any children
836 (75.0)
440 (77.9)
396 (72.1)
Children attending school or daycare n = 1,111 n = 562 n = 549
Any children
85 (7.7)
57 (10.1)
28 (5.1)
Residential overcrowding n = 1,115 n = 565 n = 550
<2 persons/bedroom 490 (44.0) 224 (39.7) 266 (48.4)
>2 to <4 persons/bedroom 510 (45.7) 289 (51.2) 221 (40.2)
>4 persons/bedroom
115 (10.3)
52 (9.2)
63 (11.5)
Ability to isolate at home if infected n = 1,115 n = 565 n = 550
Live alone or have >1 bedroom and bathroom
643 (57.7)
330 (58.4)
313 (56.9)
Size of company n = 939 n = 574 n = 456
<25 workers 108 (11.5) 49 (10.1) 59 (12.9)
25–49 workers 132 (14.1) 67 (13.9) 65 (14.3)
50–499 workers 447 (47.6) 229 (47.4) 218 (47.8)
>500 workers
252 (26.8)
138 (28.9)
114 (25.0)
Work setting n = 1,114 n = 564 n = 550
Indoors only 192 (17.2) 103 (18.3) 89 (16.2)
Outdoors only 849 (76.2) 425 (75.4) 424 (77.1)
Indoor and outdoor
73 (6.6)
36 (6.4)
37 (6.7)
Type of agricultural work n = 1,105 n = 555 n = 550
Working in the fields 830 (74.4) 416 (73.6) 414 (75.3)
Packing shed 133 (11.9) 65 (11.5) 68 (12.4)
Processing facility 64 (5.74) 34 (6.0) 30 (5.5)
Nursery 40 (3.6) 18 (3.2) 22 (4.0)
Truck driver 38 (3.4) 19 (3.4) 19 (3.5)
Packing truck 22 (1.97) 15 (2.7) 7 (1.3)
Other
21 (1.88)
12 (2.1)
9 (1.6)
Commute to work n = 1,088 n = 554 n = 534
Alone or with household members only 714 (65.6) 341 (61.6) 373 (69.9)
With nonhousehold members
374 (34.4)
213 (38.4)
161 (30.1)
Contact with acute respiratory illness cases n = 1,087 n = 547 n = 540
None 971 (89.3) 449 (82.1) 522 (96.7)
At work only 66 (6.1) 54 (9.9) 12 (2.2)
At home only 44 (4.0) 38 (6.9) 6 (1.1)
At home and work
6 (0.6)
6 (1.1)
0
Attended gatherings n = 1,113 n = 564 n = 549
Attended in preceding 2 weeks 113 (10.2) 50 (8.9) 63 (11.5)

*Clinic participants are those recruited on clinic premises, where they might have been seeking care for COVID-19 or any other illness. Outreach participants are those recruited at mobile testing operations in the community, who were not seeking medical care. SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

2Members of the CHAMACOS-Project-19 Study Team are listed at the end of this article.

Page created: February 27, 2021
Page updated: April 20, 2021
Page reviewed: April 20, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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