Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.
Front Public Health. 2022 May 4;10:884152. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.884152. eCollection 2022.
Currently, there is an extensive literature examining heat impacts on labor productivity and health, as well as a recent surge in research around COVID-19. However, to our knowledge, no research to date examines the dual burden of COVID-19 and extreme heat on labor productivity and laborers' health and livelihoods. To close this research gap and shed light on a critical health and livelihood issue affecting a vulnerable population, we urge researchers to study the two topics in tandem. Because farmworkers have a high incidence of COVID-19 infections and a low rate of inoculation, they will be among those who suffer most from this dual burden. In this article, we discuss impacts from extreme heat and COVID-19 on farm laborers. We provide examples from the literature and a conceptual framework showing the bi-directional nature of heat impacts on COVID-19 and vice versa. We conclude with questions for further research and with specific policy recommendations to alleviate this dual burden. If implemented, these policies would enhance the wellbeing of farmworkers through improved unemployment benefits, updated regulations, and consistent implementation of outdoor labor regulations. Additionally, policies for farmworker-related health needs and cultural aspects of policy implementation and farmworker outreach are needed. These and related policies could potentially reduce the dual burden of COVID-19 and extreme heat impacts while future research explores their relative cost-effectiveness.
目前，有大量文献研究了高温对劳动生产力和健康的影响，以及最近围绕 COVID-19 的研究热潮。然而，据我们所知，迄今为止，没有研究探讨 COVID-19 和极端高温对劳动生产力以及劳动者健康和生计的双重负担。为了填补这一研究空白，并阐明影响弱势人群的一个关键健康和生计问题，我们敦促研究人员同时研究这两个主题。由于农场工人 COVID-19 感染率高，接种率低，他们将是受这双重负担影响最大的人群之一。在本文中，我们讨论了极端高温和 COVID-19 对农场工人的影响。我们提供了文献中的例子和一个概念框架，展示了高温对 COVID-19 的双向影响以及反之亦然。我们最后提出了进一步研究的问题，并提出了具体的政策建议，以减轻这双重负担。如果这些政策得到实施，通过改善失业救济金、更新法规以及一致执行户外劳动法规，将提高农场工人的福利。此外，还需要制定与农场工人相关的健康需求以及政策实施和农场工人外联的文化方面的政策。在未来的研究探索其相对成本效益的同时，这些政策和相关政策有可能减轻 COVID-19 和极端高温影响的双重负担。
