tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2021 Jan 23;8(2)
faa654.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa654. eCollection 2021 Feb.
SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Serologic Responses Among Military Personnel Deployed on the USNS COMFORT to New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tahaniyat Lalani[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Tida K Lee[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Eric D Laing[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andrew Ritter[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Elizabeth Cooper[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Melissa Lee[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matthew Baker[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Tyler Baldino[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Terrance Mcadoo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shreshta Phogat[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Emily Samuels[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Huy Nguyen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christopher C Broder[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nusrat Epsi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Stephanie A Richard[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Tyler E Warkentien[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Eugene V Millar[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Timothy Burgess[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Karl C Kronmann[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a unique challenge to United States Navy hospital ships. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among US Navy personnel deployed on the USNS COMFORT to augment the inpatient health care capacity in New York City.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on USNS COMFORT crewmembers returning to Norfolk, Virginia, following deployment. Participants completed an electronic questionnaire and provided a serum sample at Day 14 post-deployment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results from testing of symptomatic crewmembers during deployment and Day 0 and Day 14 post-deployment screening swabs conducted on all crewmembers, per military order, were abstracted. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein immunoglobulin G antibody or PCR result.
Results: Of the ship's total complement of 1200 crewmembers, 450 were enrolled: 432 (96.0%) completed the questionnaire and provided a serum sample. The median age of participants (interquartile range) was 30 (24-39) years, 50.8% were female, 58.6% were White, and 14.0% were Black; 80.1% had a clinical role during deployment. The cumulative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 3.01% (13/432; 95% CI, 1.61%-5.09%). Twelve of 13 infections occurred in health care providers, and 8 of 13 were asymptomatic. The antibody profile of infected crewmembers varied by suspected timing of infection.
Conclusions: We observed a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among USNS COMFORT crewmembers despite the inherent risk of a shipboard deployment to an area with high rates of community transmission. Our findings suggest that early infection control measures mitigated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among crewmembers.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; health care workers; shipboard.
. 2021 Jan 23;8(2)
faa654.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa654. eCollection 2021 Feb.
SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Serologic Responses Among Military Personnel Deployed on the USNS COMFORT to New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tahaniyat Lalani[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Tida K Lee[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Eric D Laing[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andrew Ritter[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Elizabeth Cooper[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Melissa Lee[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matthew Baker[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Tyler Baldino[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Terrance Mcadoo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shreshta Phogat[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Emily Samuels[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Huy Nguyen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christopher C Broder[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nusrat Epsi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Stephanie A Richard[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Tyler E Warkentien[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Eugene V Millar[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Timothy Burgess[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Karl C Kronmann[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33553482
- PMCID: PMC7856331
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa654
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a unique challenge to United States Navy hospital ships. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among US Navy personnel deployed on the USNS COMFORT to augment the inpatient health care capacity in New York City.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on USNS COMFORT crewmembers returning to Norfolk, Virginia, following deployment. Participants completed an electronic questionnaire and provided a serum sample at Day 14 post-deployment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results from testing of symptomatic crewmembers during deployment and Day 0 and Day 14 post-deployment screening swabs conducted on all crewmembers, per military order, were abstracted. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein immunoglobulin G antibody or PCR result.
Results: Of the ship's total complement of 1200 crewmembers, 450 were enrolled: 432 (96.0%) completed the questionnaire and provided a serum sample. The median age of participants (interquartile range) was 30 (24-39) years, 50.8% were female, 58.6% were White, and 14.0% were Black; 80.1% had a clinical role during deployment. The cumulative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 3.01% (13/432; 95% CI, 1.61%-5.09%). Twelve of 13 infections occurred in health care providers, and 8 of 13 were asymptomatic. The antibody profile of infected crewmembers varied by suspected timing of infection.
Conclusions: We observed a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among USNS COMFORT crewmembers despite the inherent risk of a shipboard deployment to an area with high rates of community transmission. Our findings suggest that early infection control measures mitigated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among crewmembers.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; health care workers; shipboard.