Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

November 12, 2020

ARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Marine Recruits during Quarantine

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  • Among a cohort of US Marine Corps recruits who were tested on days 1-2, 7, and 14 after arrival to campus (n=1848), 16 (0.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by day 2, followed by 35 more (1.9%) by day 14. Genomic analysis from 32 positive recruits identified 6 clusters among 18 recruits, providing evidence for local transmission events, such as among roommates and platoon-mates. In a separate cohort of recruits only tested on day 14 (n=1554), 26 (1.7%) tested positive.
  • All recruits were required to quarantine for 2 weeks prior to campus arrival, then had a 2-week supervised quarantine upon arrival. No cases were identified through daily symptom monitoring.

Letizia et al. (Nov 11, 2020). SARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Marine Recruits during Quarantine. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2029717