Covid-19 : estratégias de combate a transmissão da doença na cadeia produtiva de alimentos

Abstract

The world is facing a pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 (a new coronavirus). To prevent the transmission of the virus, isolation and social distancing measures are necessary. However, workers in the food production chain, considered essential, cannot leave their workplaces, since they need to ensure the food security of the Brazilian population. The aim of this study was to investigate cases of COVID-19, assess transmission risk, and propose preventive measures for the disease in a hospital Food and Nutrition Unit. The application of the check-list in a food unit revealed 28% of non-conformities, some important failures were detected, such as the lack of warnings of minimum necessary distance between workers and the absence of protective barriers between worker and customer. The laboratory diagnosis performed by RT-qPCR showed that 9.1% (03/33) workers were infected with the disease during the research period. The data collected in the literature review, together with the information generated by the checklist and the laboratory results, can contribute to the updating of standards and programs recommended by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), which are based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Therefore, it is necessary to identify and correct points of non-conformity, and to faithfully follow the biosecurity protocol, with adaptations for food service, in order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in this environment. Implementing daily training, seeking to alert professionals in this sector about care and prevention of the disease are paramount to prevent the spread of the virus.