Center for Disease Control and Prevention
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in one of its latest articles, speaks of the importance of prevention messages in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article acknowledges the application of preventive measures such as hand washing, social distancing, and wearing of face masks as standard protocol. Even so, the barriers preventing some from taking such actions, and the limited communication channels for those in rural areas.
According to Maggie Silver, a specialist in health communication at the CDC, workers in some of the prominent beef processing plants in Weld County face such challenges when it comes to health communication. The health communication specialist noted with admiration, the commitment within her team for the importance of effective communication in the face of such pandemics. Communication messages are of the utmost importance for the workers, most of whom are not native English speakers. The messages were aimed at spurring a change in behaviour for the workers in terms of getting to their places of work safely and keeping food supply at a constant.
Messages shared included prevention information as well as useful outreach strategies. The strategies included text messages and posted signage spread across facilities. Maggie recommended that signs be posted in areas where workers take breaks from work.
The communications specialist also commended the commitment that employers had shown towards their workers’ wellbeing. In concluding, Maggie reiterated the importance of having employers and other stakeholders involved in the process of keeping workers safe as they work during these times. Maggie mentioned community groups, workers unions, and health departments as some of the stakeholders that would ensure the smooth running of communication strategies among workers. The partners involved would have to take up their roles with the utmost seriousness if they were to keep the pandemic contained in the state of South Dakota.