A recent study demonstrated the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 among asymptomatic Marine recruits, despite strictly enforced quarantines and other recommended health measures.

The results of the study could have important implications for the design of health measures aiming to limit the transmission of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, among young adults.

SARS-CoV-2 transmits through the inhalation of aerosolized or liquid respiratory droplets from the mouth or nose. The virus can enter the mouth, nose, or eyes when people are in direct or close contact, for example.

Transmission can also occur through contact with objects or surfaces used by someone with the virus.

A person with SARS-CoV-2 can pass on the virus whether or not they have symptoms of the disease that it causes, COVID-19. Currently, scientists do not know how frequently asymptomatic transmission occurs.

Military personnel may have a particularly high risk of COVID-19 due to shared dining halls, cramped living areas, close contact during training, and contact with people from varied geographical areas.

Scientists from the Naval Medical Research Center, headquartered in Silver Spring, MD, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City, decided to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a military setting. Their findings appear in The New England Journal of Medicine.