“The effect that the meatpacking plant outbreaks had on the early spread of COVID-19 is staggering … By July 2020, about 6% to 8% of all coronavirus cases in the U.S. were tied to packing plant outbreaks, and that by October 2020, community spread from the plants had generated 334,000 illnesses and 18,000 COVID-19-related deaths.” The plants didn’t just stay open. They lobbied to speed up the processing. ProPublica: The Plot to Keep Meatpacking Plants Open During COVID-19.