Impact of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medically Attended Acute Respiratory Infection: The US Naval Academy Experience

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.