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Abattoir's cooling system helped spread virus: German expert: Entire Teams Infected with COVID-19

June 24, 2020 - from Medical Press:

"The air cooling system used in a German slaughterhouse helped spread the coronavirus among hundreds of workers, a hygiene expert said Wednesday, a day after the mass outbreak triggered renewed lockdowns in the area."

"More than 1,500 out of 7,000 employees have tested positive so far at the Toennies meat processing plant in the western district of Guetersloh in the country's single biggest COVID-19 cluster to date."

"The plant's air filtration system had contributed to the spread of virus-laden aerosol droplets. The ventilation system is aimed at keeping temperatures at a cool 6-10 degrees Celsius but continually recycles the same untreated air into the room."

" The cooling system was just "one factor" to explain the rapid spread of the virus in the slaughterhouse, and that wearing face masks and keeping a safe distance were key to controlling the transmission."

"Abattoirs have emerged as hotspots of coronavirus outbreaks in a slew of countries, including the United States, France and Britain."

"The technology is there to fix the problem" including "high-performance mobile air filters that remove pollutants or the microbe-killing UV lights that are used in hospital air conditioning systems."