Infection rate: Essential workers vs others

[tundraboomer]

After a recent shopping trip, and seeing all the same faces in the stores I shop in, all of whom have been there throughout this pandemic and through the SIP orders, I got to wondering if anyone has put together a study comparing infection rates among "essential workers" (store clerks, bank tellers, postal workers, delivery drivers, etc., but not including healthcare workers) versus the rest of the population who has largely been sheltering in place.

Seems to me that if all the FUD is legit, these essential workers should have a significantly higher infection rate than everyone else, right? But, anecdotally, I'm not seeing it. I'm considered an essential worker, although I'm furloughed right now due to business levels. But many of my co-workers with more seniority are still working and have been through this whole thing and I've not heard of anyone in my terminal with a positive diagnosis, not even anyone in our entire company, which serves some 36 States.

Either this information isn't being collected, is being kept quiet, or this whole thing is a big nothingburger because, according to the experts, all of these essential workers have a higher risk of exposure and should be experiencing higher rates of infection.

Has anyone seen any studies on this anywhere, or have a differing opinion?

[TKM]

We are pretty sure we all had it in January.

Every bit of nonsense since then is virtue signaling of the highest order and lowest worth.

[deadcoyote]

I can only say this: I’ve worked through the whole thing, in contact with our clients, and our clients aren’t normal public like primarily transients and what not. I don’t think I’ve gotten it? Haven’t gotten sick, but haven’t gotten tested either. I have one friend who for sure got it and got very ill. I don’t know anyone else in the public safety sector who got it.

We actually had a whole engine company from one of our fire departments up here go and render aid to a dude who turned out to have it so they all got quarantined and then it turned out none of the four fire guys got it. That’s my only experience thus far. But then, like I said. It’s not like we re being tested to see if we have the antibodies, so who knows if any of us have had it or not.

[Deadon]

After a recent shopping trip, and seeing all the same faces in the stores I shop in, all of whom have been there throughout this pandemic and through the SIP orders, I got to wondering if anyone has put together a study comparing infection rates among "essential workers" (store clerks, bank tellers, postal workers, delivery drivers, etc., but not including healthcare workers) versus the rest of the population who has largely been sheltering in place.

Seems to me that if all the FUD is legit, these essential workers should have a significantly higher infection rate than everyone else, right? But, anecdotally, I'm not seeing it. I'm considered an essential worker, although I'm furloughed right now due to business levels. But many of my co-workers with more seniority are still working and have been through this whole thing and I've not heard of anyone in my terminal with a positive diagnosis, not even anyone in our entire company, which serves some 36 States.

Either this information isn't being collected, is being kept quiet, or this whole thing is a big nothingburger because, according to the experts, all of these essential workers have a higher risk of exposure and should be experiencing higher rates of infection.

Has anyone seen any studies on this anywhere, or have a differing opinion?

Wife's company opened up two weeks ago. She has 30 employees, 5 working per day. Four are out sick. One called and said she has covid. Two have fevers and one just felt sick.

Her company won't allow her to follow up with the other three employees. She can't ask if they've been tested. The only reason why she knows about the one was because the girl was concerned about the store and thought she would share her results.

[eta34]

Our entire department was tested for the antibodies last month. Tons of people swore they had it in November or January. Two people tested positive, and none of those who claimed to have had it.

[balgor]

If, you think you had it before March of this year in the US, you didn't have it. You had the flu or one of other numerous respiratory illnesses. There is zero evidence of community spread in the US in January/February. Possible random one off cases yes, community spread no.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/coronavirus-first-case-snohomish-antibodies.html

https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/26/new-research-rewrites-history-of-when-covid-19-arrived-in-u-s-and-points-to-missed-chances-to-stop-it/

As for OP, we don't even have a good Serology Survey of the US population, let alone one broken down by occupation. Wait a year to 18 months and you'll have your answer.