ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Medically attended acute respiratory infections (MAARI) at the U.S. Naval Academy increase during Plebe Summer, a training program for incoming freshmen. Because of COVID-19, extensive nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPI) were implemented during 2020 Plebe Summer. METHODS: We reviewed MAARI counts in weeks 22-45 from 2012 to 2020 and compared counts in pandemic (2020) vs. pre-pandemic (2012-2019) periods. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2019, an average of 1,642 MAARI cases occurred annually. In 2020, 443 MAARI cases occurred. NPI use was associated with a 77% reduction in MAARI. CONCLUSIONS: During a high-risk military training period, routine NPI use was associated with a major reduction in MAARI.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Influenza, Human , Respiratory Tract Infections , Humans , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Pandemics/prevention & control , COVID-19/epidemiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/prevention & control , SeasonsABSTRACT
Introduction Medically attended acute respiratory infections (MAARI) at the U.S. Naval Academy increase during Plebe Summer, a training program for incoming freshmen. Because of COVID-19, extensive nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPI) were implemented during 2020 Plebe Summer. Methods We reviewed MAARI counts in weeks 22–45 from 2012 to 2020 and compared counts in pandemic (2020) vs. pre-pandemic (2012–2019) periods. Results From 2012 to 2019, an average of 1,642 MAARI cases occurred annually. In 2020, 443 MAARI cases occurred. NPI use was associated with a 77% reduction in MAARI. Conclusions During a high-risk military training period, routine NPI use was associated with a major reduction in MAARI.