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| Boom in Canned Food Means a Boom in Cans, Too | Boom in Canned Food Means a Boom in Cans, Too |
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| The restaurants in downtown Hannibal, Mo., have been closed for weeks because of the coronavirus, but on the town’s western outskirts, its largest employer is buzzing. | The restaurants in downtown Hannibal, Mo., have been closed for weeks because of the coronavirus, but on the town’s western outskirts, its largest employer is buzzing. |
| The big General Mills plant that turns out cans of Progresso soup is still operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, just as it was before the virus hit. It employs 1,000 people and is hiring to fill 50 openings. | The big General Mills plant that turns out cans of Progresso soup is still operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, just as it was before the virus hit. It employs 1,000 people and is hiring to fill 50 openings. |
| “I drove by the other day and the parking lot was full of cars, trucks coming and going,” said James Hark, a manager of an auto-body shop and the mayor of Hannibal, the boyhood home of Mark Twain. | “I drove by the other day and the parking lot was full of cars, trucks coming and going,” said James Hark, a manager of an auto-body shop and the mayor of Hannibal, the boyhood home of Mark Twain. |
| Someone has to make all those cans. The surge in demand for processed foods like canned soups and vegetables during the pandemic has rippled through the food industry’s supply chain. Makers of metal containers have had to speed up production to keep pace. | Someone has to make all those cans. The surge in demand for processed foods like canned soups and vegetables during the pandemic has rippled through the food industry’s supply chain. Makers of metal containers have had to speed up production to keep pace. |
| Take Silgan Holdings, a maker of metal and plastic containers for consumer goods with more than 50 plants across the country. The company, based in Stamford, Conn., reported record first-quarter earnings, in part because of a jump in demand for cans. | Take Silgan Holdings, a maker of metal and plastic containers for consumer goods with more than 50 plants across the country. The company, based in Stamford, Conn., reported record first-quarter earnings, in part because of a jump in demand for cans. |
| In a conference call, Silgan’s chief executive, Anthony J. Allott, said the company expected demand for canned goods to remain strong for some time since many people would continue to eat and entertain at home in the months ahead. | In a conference call, Silgan’s chief executive, Anthony J. Allott, said the company expected demand for canned goods to remain strong for some time since many people would continue to eat and entertain at home in the months ahead. |
| “Our order books are full,” he said. | “Our order books are full,” he said. |
| Another big maker of food and beverage cans, Crown Holdings, went into the year planning to increase production in the United States, and the virus has only added urgency to the effort. Crown’s website lists 81 open production jobs at its 25 U.S. plants, some for a third production line being set up at a factory in Nichols, N.Y. | Another big maker of food and beverage cans, Crown Holdings, went into the year planning to increase production in the United States, and the virus has only added urgency to the effort. Crown’s website lists 81 open production jobs at its 25 U.S. plants, some for a third production line being set up at a factory in Nichols, N.Y. |
| “We can sell every can we can make,” said Thomas Fischer, Crown’s vice president for investor relations and corporate affairs. | “We can sell every can we can make,” said Thomas Fischer, Crown’s vice president for investor relations and corporate affairs. |
| Acquiring the metal hasn’t been a problem. Despite the tariffs the Trump administration placed on imported steel and other metals, steel prices have eased this year. Moreover, recycling provides can producers with a reliable source — about 71 percent of steel food containers are recycled, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group. | Acquiring the metal hasn’t been a problem. Despite the tariffs the Trump administration placed on imported steel and other metals, steel prices have eased this year. Moreover, recycling provides can producers with a reliable source — about 71 percent of steel food containers are recycled, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group. |
| Smaller suppliers are busy as well. In Rolling Meadows, Ill., about 25 miles northwest of Chicago, Apex Tool Works makes the machines and tools that produce metal cans and lids. | Smaller suppliers are busy as well. In Rolling Meadows, Ill., about 25 miles northwest of Chicago, Apex Tool Works makes the machines and tools that produce metal cans and lids. |
| “We are actually swamped,” said Mike Collins, president of Apex, the company his family has run for 101 years. “The soup shelves are practically empty in the supermarkets, so our customers can’t make the stuff fast enough, and they’re running through their tooling very quickly.” | “We are actually swamped,” said Mike Collins, president of Apex, the company his family has run for 101 years. “The soup shelves are practically empty in the supermarkets, so our customers can’t make the stuff fast enough, and they’re running through their tooling very quickly.” |
| Mr. Collins said that he would like to add to his staff of 42, but that workers with the required machine and metalworking skills were difficult to come by. “It was like that even before the virus, so we haven’t hired in a while,” he said. | Mr. Collins said that he would like to add to his staff of 42, but that workers with the required machine and metalworking skills were difficult to come by. “It was like that even before the virus, so we haven’t hired in a while,” he said. |
| The food business is normally steady. But the surge in sales of canned and other packaged foods, when other transportation companies and vegetable producers have been knocked off stride by the virus, has forced manufacturers into a state of high alert. | The food business is normally steady. But the surge in sales of canned and other packaged foods, when other transportation companies and vegetable producers have been knocked off stride by the virus, has forced manufacturers into a state of high alert. |
| In the four weeks that ended April 4, food sales at General Mills and Campbell Soup rose more than 60 percent, and Kraft Heinz, Kellogg, Flower Foods and others had jumps of 37 percent to 50 percent, according to Nielsen, a provider of data on consumer purchasing. | In the four weeks that ended April 4, food sales at General Mills and Campbell Soup rose more than 60 percent, and Kraft Heinz, Kellogg, Flower Foods and others had jumps of 37 percent to 50 percent, according to Nielsen, a provider of data on consumer purchasing. |
| “Almost all our plants are running at capacity,” John Church, General Mills’ chief supply chain officer, said in an interview. The company has 25 plants in North America. | “Almost all our plants are running at capacity,” John Church, General Mills’ chief supply chain officer, said in an interview. The company has 25 plants in North America. |
| For years, sales of soups and other canned foods have been declining slowly, as Americans gravitated toward fresh produce and other options often seen as more nutritious. In 2017, General Mills closed a large Progresso soup plant in Vineland, N.J., and consolidated production of that product line in Hannibal. | For years, sales of soups and other canned foods have been declining slowly, as Americans gravitated toward fresh produce and other options often seen as more nutritious. In 2017, General Mills closed a large Progresso soup plant in Vineland, N.J., and consolidated production of that product line in Hannibal. |
| But lockdown orders have made shoppers cut down on trips to the supermarket and stock up on long-lasting items. The food industry has a name for this type of consumer behavior — “pantry-loading.” | But lockdown orders have made shoppers cut down on trips to the supermarket and stock up on long-lasting items. The food industry has a name for this type of consumer behavior — “pantry-loading.” |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | Updated June 22, 2020 |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Jim Parr, a teacher in Framingham, Mass., is an example. Ordinarily, he said, if he buys a can of beans and a can of diced tomatoes to make chili, it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision while shopping. But recently, he stocked up. | |
| “I got enough to last two weeks,” he said. “I can’t just drive out at any time to go to the store. The way it is now, you have to think ahead more.” | |
| To meet demand, General Mills is in the unusual position of hiring during a pandemic, and not just in Hannibal. A plant in Wellston, Ohio — a town of fewer than 6,000 people — has 30 openings, a mix of entry-level and midcareer jobs. | To meet demand, General Mills is in the unusual position of hiring during a pandemic, and not just in Hannibal. A plant in Wellston, Ohio — a town of fewer than 6,000 people — has 30 openings, a mix of entry-level and midcareer jobs. |
| At some locations, General Mills has recruited office workers to help staff factories now running around the clock. Over all, absenteeism hasn’t been a problem, Mr. Church said. Having confronted the virus in its plants in China, the company began screening workers and sanitizing plants in the United States early on to limit any spread of the virus in the workplace, he said. | At some locations, General Mills has recruited office workers to help staff factories now running around the clock. Over all, absenteeism hasn’t been a problem, Mr. Church said. Having confronted the virus in its plants in China, the company began screening workers and sanitizing plants in the United States early on to limit any spread of the virus in the workplace, he said. |
| Like General Mills, Campbell Soup has had a jump in demand for canned products. It has increased pay for production workers by $2 an hour to help its employees juggling work hours with new challenges of child care and stay-at-home orders. | Like General Mills, Campbell Soup has had a jump in demand for canned products. It has increased pay for production workers by $2 an hour to help its employees juggling work hours with new challenges of child care and stay-at-home orders. |
| General Mills has also set up a control center where executives can monitor operations hour by hour. | General Mills has also set up a control center where executives can monitor operations hour by hour. |
| “We used to meet monthly to look at demand coming and where we are,” said Mr. Church, the supply chain officer. “Now we have that meeting every day, to consider all the factors in our supply chain and optimize the day because we’re using a lot more carrots, a lot more chicken.” | “We used to meet monthly to look at demand coming and where we are,” said Mr. Church, the supply chain officer. “Now we have that meeting every day, to consider all the factors in our supply chain and optimize the day because we’re using a lot more carrots, a lot more chicken.” |
| For now, the company has not run short of food ingredients, in part because demand from restaurants and other large food-service businesses has fallen as sales of packaged food have jumped, he said. | For now, the company has not run short of food ingredients, in part because demand from restaurants and other large food-service businesses has fallen as sales of packaged food have jumped, he said. |
| As a food producer, the company operates a highly sanitized workplace to begin with. But it is now cleaning its factories more frequently and has workers taking breaks in their cars or in conference rooms to maintain distance from one another. In its cafeterias, the rule is now only one chair per table. | As a food producer, the company operates a highly sanitized workplace to begin with. But it is now cleaning its factories more frequently and has workers taking breaks in their cars or in conference rooms to maintain distance from one another. In its cafeterias, the rule is now only one chair per table. |
| At Apex, the tool maker in Illinois, Mr. Collins said the new realities of the workplace were adding stress. “You feel it with the unknown,” he said. | At Apex, the tool maker in Illinois, Mr. Collins said the new realities of the workplace were adding stress. “You feel it with the unknown,” he said. |
| At his company, though, the arrival of spring weather has helped. “When we have a nice day, we open up the building to get the fresh air flowing,” Mr. Collins said. “That makes things a little more pleasant.” | At his company, though, the arrival of spring weather has helped. “When we have a nice day, we open up the building to get the fresh air flowing,” Mr. Collins said. “That makes things a little more pleasant.” |