TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Arrival Quarantine on Subsequent COVID-19 Testing in a Cohort of Military Basic Trainees
AU - Marcus, Joseph E.
AU - Frankel, Dianne N.
AU - Pawlak, Mary T.
AU - Casey, Theresa M.
AU - Enriquez, Erin
AU - Yun, Heather C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - Introduction: Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland implemented several sequential non-pharmaceutical interventions in response to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). One measure, arrival quarantine, has not been studied as a modern military disease prevention strategy. This study aimed to determine the effect of a 14-day arrival quarantine on symptomatic COVID-19 testing. Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study compared symptomatic COVID-19 testing among all trainees who entered Basic Military Training between March 17, 2020, and April 17, 2020, before the implementation of universal arrival COVID-19 testing, during their first 2 weeks in arrival quarantine compared to the rest of their training. Furthermore, symptomatic COVID-19 testing in the last 5 weeks of training in those who completed arrival quarantine was compared to testing in the last 5 weeks for trainees who arrived between February 16, 2020, and March 16, 2020, and did not undergo arrival quarantine. Nominal variables were compared by chi-square test, and continuous variables were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. This study was approved as a public health surveillance project by the 59th Medical Wing Institutional Review Board. Results: Five thousand five hundred and seventy-six trainees started training between February 16, 2020, and April 17, 2020, with 2,573 trainees undergoing an arrival quarantine compared to 3,003 trainees who did not. Trainees who underwent arrival quarantine had higher rates of COVID-19 testing while in arrival quarantine (10.5 tests per 1,000 trainee-weeks vs. 2.3, P ≤. 001) and higher rates of concomitant influenza testing (74% vs. 38%, P =. 001) compared to after they completed quarantine. Trainees that completed quarantine had less symptomatic COVID-19 testing after day 14 of training (2.3 tests per 1,000 trainee-weeks vs. 14.3, P ≤. 001) and influenza testing (38% vs. 74%, P =. 001) compared to trainees that did not undergo arrival quarantine. Conclusion: Arrival quarantine appears to be an effective non-pharmaceutical intervention associated with fewer symptomatic COVID-19 tests, especially after completion of quarantine.
AB - Introduction: Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland implemented several sequential non-pharmaceutical interventions in response to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). One measure, arrival quarantine, has not been studied as a modern military disease prevention strategy. This study aimed to determine the effect of a 14-day arrival quarantine on symptomatic COVID-19 testing. Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study compared symptomatic COVID-19 testing among all trainees who entered Basic Military Training between March 17, 2020, and April 17, 2020, before the implementation of universal arrival COVID-19 testing, during their first 2 weeks in arrival quarantine compared to the rest of their training. Furthermore, symptomatic COVID-19 testing in the last 5 weeks of training in those who completed arrival quarantine was compared to testing in the last 5 weeks for trainees who arrived between February 16, 2020, and March 16, 2020, and did not undergo arrival quarantine. Nominal variables were compared by chi-square test, and continuous variables were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. This study was approved as a public health surveillance project by the 59th Medical Wing Institutional Review Board. Results: Five thousand five hundred and seventy-six trainees started training between February 16, 2020, and April 17, 2020, with 2,573 trainees undergoing an arrival quarantine compared to 3,003 trainees who did not. Trainees who underwent arrival quarantine had higher rates of COVID-19 testing while in arrival quarantine (10.5 tests per 1,000 trainee-weeks vs. 2.3, P ≤. 001) and higher rates of concomitant influenza testing (74% vs. 38%, P =. 001) compared to after they completed quarantine. Trainees that completed quarantine had less symptomatic COVID-19 testing after day 14 of training (2.3 tests per 1,000 trainee-weeks vs. 14.3, P ≤. 001) and influenza testing (38% vs. 74%, P =. 001) compared to trainees that did not undergo arrival quarantine. Conclusion: Arrival quarantine appears to be an effective non-pharmaceutical intervention associated with fewer symptomatic COVID-19 tests, especially after completion of quarantine.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115031155&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/milmed/usab247
DO - 10.1093/milmed/usab247
M3 - Article
C2 - 34142709
AN - SCOPUS:85115031155
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 186
SP - 984
EP - 987
JO - Military Medicine
JF - Military Medicine
IS - 9
ER -