1 Introduction In the United States, the coronavirus pandemic (‘COVID-19’) resulted in over 1.2 million deaths, with close to 650,000 deaths in the first year (Ruhm 2022). Local, state and federal governments implemented a range of public health measures to respond to COVID-19. However, under the United States Defense Production Act of 1950, meatpacking plants were designated as ‘essential critical infrastructure’ and maintained operations throughout the pandemic.