Publications by authors named "Crystal Brigantti"
Background: Laboratory screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a key mitigation measure to avoid the spread of infection among recruits starting basic combat training in a congregate setting. Because viral nucleic acid can be detected persistently after recovery, we evaluated other laboratory markers to distinguish recruits who could proceed with training from those who were infected.
Methods: Recruits isolated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were serially tested for SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic ribonucleic acid (sgRNA), and viral load (VL) by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and for anti- SARS-CoV-2.
Article Synopsis
- Significant variability in infection control policies in the US Army's initial training led to a study focusing on COVID-19 prevention among recruits.
- Recruits were tested for COVID-19 using RT-PCR and antibody tests at specific intervals upon arrival for training, revealing a high rate of positive cases at initial testing.
- The results indicated that serological testing could enhance current methods to manage COVID-19 among new recruits, as most positive cases were identified upon arrival with no hospitalizations reported.