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When you think of South Dakota, what do you think of?
Many liberals cast ugly shadow on the state. SD lacks access to large hospitals, to research institutions. They are farmers. They are conservative.
They will also die in this pandemic in likely greater numbers.
THREAD 1/
Many liberals cast ugly shadow on the state. SD lacks access to large hospitals, to research institutions. They are farmers. They are conservative.
They will also die in this pandemic in likely greater numbers.
THREAD 1/
Reasons SD will die in droves are as follows:
1) There is the largest single outbreak of COVID-19 in the World linked to a pork plant there.
2) At this moment SD still does NOT have a stay-at-home order bc their Gov doesn't feel necessary @govkristinoem
3) Little testing
/2
1) There is the largest single outbreak of COVID-19 in the World linked to a pork plant there.
2) At this moment SD still does NOT have a stay-at-home order bc their Gov doesn't feel necessary @govkristinoem
3) Little testing
/2
So let's unpack why many in my family are at risk, some of whom work at this very pork plant.
Introducing Smithfield Pork Plant. Smithfield is largest pork producer in America at 5% of total pork.
The plant employees 3700 people in an assembly line fashion.
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Introducing Smithfield Pork Plant. Smithfield is largest pork producer in America at 5% of total pork.
The plant employees 3700 people in an assembly line fashion.
3/
In rural America, many people commute to work from long distances. So for example, there are buses that take workers to the Smithfield plant daily from smaller towns outside of Sioux Falls where it is cheaper to live.
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When workers began to get sick in mid-March Smithfield installed some hand sanitizer stations (seriously).
Workers demanded PPE. They were given shower caps to wear around their faces instead of masks.
Then more started getting sick.
Workers were offered $500 to stay.
5/
Workers demanded PPE. They were given shower caps to wear around their faces instead of masks.
Then more started getting sick.
Workers were offered $500 to stay.
5/
Many of these workers live paycheck to paycheck. My family did for most of my life.
So the plant offering $500 to workers is a BIG deal & will cause a lot more deaths.
This is one example of how poor people will die.
6/ https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/04/09/smithfield-foods-workers-criticize-conditions-coronavirus-covid-19/5124387002/
So the plant offering $500 to workers is a BIG deal & will cause a lot more deaths.
This is one example of how poor people will die.
6/ https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/04/09/smithfield-foods-workers-criticize-conditions-coronavirus-covid-19/5124387002/
And then people started getting sick. Everyday dozens of people got sick.
Now the ONE plant in Sioux Falls, SD has over 644 cases. Imagine if 644 of your work colleagues got sick?
The entire state of SD has only 800,000 people living in it.
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Now the ONE plant in Sioux Falls, SD has over 644 cases. Imagine if 644 of your work colleagues got sick?
The entire state of SD has only 800,000 people living in it.
7/
One would think that if over 650 people got sick that the plant would close down right? Well, kind of. But it was only after allowing workers to come to work sick for weeks.
Now there is a major outbreak.
So the workers can just go to the hospital right? Right?
Wrong.
8/
Now there is a major outbreak.
So the workers can just go to the hospital right? Right?
Wrong.
8/
SD has a severe LACK OF COVID-19 TESTING PROBLEM. They test very few people every day. The first death linked to the Smithfield plant was in the hospital for 6 days before he was even tested.
He died today. Worked at the plant for 24 years.
https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2020/04/15/smithfield-foods-sioux-falls-sd-worker-dies-coronavirus-hot-spot/2994502001/
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He died today. Worked at the plant for 24 years.
https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2020/04/15/smithfield-foods-sioux-falls-sd-worker-dies-coronavirus-hot-spot/2994502001/
9/
Workers in hospitals in SD also are unable to raise concerns that they lack PPE. You have to realize that workers in the Smithfield plant travel to smaller rural towns that rely on rural physicians for care.
These rural clinics, like the one I was born in, can't handle it.
10/
These rural clinics, like the one I was born in, can't handle it.
10/
Instead of issuing a stay-at-home order, Governor @noem
has decided that SD can "have their free liberties to make their decisions for themselves". This was quote today when Mayor of Sioux Falls BEGGED her for social distance order.
Nope.
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has decided that SD can "have their free liberties to make their decisions for themselves". This was quote today when Mayor of Sioux Falls BEGGED her for social distance order.
Nope.
11/
The hospitals are NOT prepared to handle this.
They do NOT test enough people. They acquired 15 Aetna Covid-19 testing units for the ENTIRE state of SD.
To put this in perspective: one NJ hospital has more Aetna testing units than the entire state of SD.
12/
They do NOT test enough people. They acquired 15 Aetna Covid-19 testing units for the ENTIRE state of SD.
To put this in perspective: one NJ hospital has more Aetna testing units than the entire state of SD.
12/
So now you have one of the biggest viral outbreaks in the World affecting rural Americans that make minimum wage and have little access to resources.
This will decimate the community.
And there is not a large university structure to supply resources at the ready.
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This will decimate the community.
And there is not a large university structure to supply resources at the ready.
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Why should you care?
1) Because these are Americans that will die. And immigrants. And humans.
2) Because it is my family and if you care about me at all please care about this.
3) Because it shadows how lack of infrastructure will decimate this community
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1) Because these are Americans that will die. And immigrants. And humans.
2) Because it is my family and if you care about me at all please care about this.
3) Because it shadows how lack of infrastructure will decimate this community
14/
You should also care because SD provides a lot of food for American families. My grandparents and parents farmed for most of their lives. We need SD to eat. And I cannot stress that enough.
Farmers, immigrants, rural towns, and healthcare providers will die.
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Farmers, immigrants, rural towns, and healthcare providers will die.
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While much of America has had widespread COVID-19 testing now for greater than 2 weeks (and by wide-spread, I mean some semi resemblance of ability), most places in SD still have no testing at all.
But they are dealing with largest outbreak in America.
16/
But they are dealing with largest outbreak in America.
16/
SD is fooling you. MANY people are sick there but you do not hear about it.
Please, I beg you, think about SD and ND a little differently after reading this. Worker's lives at Smithfield require you giving a damn about them bc nobody else does.
16/
Please, I beg you, think about SD and ND a little differently after reading this. Worker's lives at Smithfield require you giving a damn about them bc nobody else does.
16/
Light reading about America's poor being killed by this pandemic (Darwin at its finest).
"How One City Mayor Forced A Pork Giant To Close Its Virus-Stricken Plant"
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/14/834470141/how-one-city-mayor-forced-a-pork-giant-to-close-its-virus-stricken-plant
"A bumpy road for COVID-19 tests in SD" April 4th
https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/state-and-regional/a-bumpy-road-for-covid-19-testing-in-south-dakota/article_c5cce352-1b9a-534f-86f3-1d01c421c559.html
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"How One City Mayor Forced A Pork Giant To Close Its Virus-Stricken Plant"
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/14/834470141/how-one-city-mayor-forced-a-pork-giant-to-close-its-virus-stricken-plant
"A bumpy road for COVID-19 tests in SD" April 4th
https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/state-and-regional/a-bumpy-road-for-covid-19-testing-in-south-dakota/article_c5cce352-1b9a-534f-86f3-1d01c421c559.html
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It's really difficult to watch the place you grew up in suffer for the mere fact that they are less-than.
It's incredibly difficult to know that my family will be at greater risk from this pandemic simply because they live in rural area with lack of access to resources.
/FIN
It's incredibly difficult to know that my family will be at greater risk from this pandemic simply because they live in rural area with lack of access to resources.
/FIN
