Of Pigs And People

 November 22, 2020

I will share some experiences from the world of farm animals in relation to bugs:
My first job here in Canada, having arrived from Australia in 1987, was to feed some 3000 head of cattle in a feedlot north east of Calgary.
They were bedded down on straw in open pens and were usually placed in their assigned pens in the early fall. The main health problems were experienced during this early phase of their stay, before the weather got good and cold.
Being a rookie, I inquired as to why they were not kept inside buildings and was told of huge health problems being experienced with many animals confined inside.
Some months down the road I got a new job with a major pig breeding company and looked after a couple of feeder barns and an AI (Artificial Insemination) operation.
As pigs don't have the capacity of cattle to survive outside in a Canadian winter, these animals are confined in large barns and what makes it work is a sophisticated ventilation system where fresh air enters the barn at points along the ridge of the roof, drawn in by large fans along the side walls of these buildings, and "spent" air is exited by those same fans.
This dilutes the bug load in the air and makes it difficult for airborne bacteria and viruses to move from pig to pig.
In our current circumstances it is a no-brainer that we should apply these techniques to ourselves: As in regards to schools, malls and all manner of public buildings where we like to congregate.
In addition to minimizing COVID outbreaks, this would drastically decrease the amount of flu we get as well.

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