study to marines letizia characterizes the antibodies as the bombs and the missiles and the tanks to fight the disease but it is equally important to see how they are produced in a factory and why us marine corps upon arrival each volunteer gets a nasal saliva and blood test to determine if they have the novel coronavirus followed by a similar round of tests the following week and four more tests every two weeks letizia hopes the studys initial findings expected in late august could provide answers to those questions and help develop better therapeutic treatments and vaccines the covid19 health action response for marines study known by the acronym charm began in early may and will track up to 3500 marine recruits from the moment they arrive at the location where they will quarantine for 14 days before they head to basic training at marine corps recruit depot parris island in south carolina us marine corps we know that covid19 seems to not be as severe in these young healthy americans and the question is why said letizia more human trial for coronavirus vaccine launched by moderna enters phase 3 recruits who volunteer for the study are monitored for the two weeks they are in quarantine and another six weeks at parris island as of last week slightly more than 2000 marines had been tested as part of the study with the goal of ultimately testing 3500 more government predicted but failed to address racial disparities in global pandemic exofficials researchers hope to find enough covid19positive recruits to form a statistically significant sample that will spot trends in the research are some people already immune to covid19 there really isnt another cohort out there that is looking at young healthy americans that have been brought around from all over the united states said cmdr researchers expect the testing to detect enough coronaviruspositive recruits that will form a statistically significant sample and marines who test positive will go through more rounds of testing than the broader test group that quarantine area is now located in the atlanta area these are individuals who were asked to give blood and saliva and having an upthenose swab six times over an eightweek period despite the physically demanding mentally exhausting and sleepdeprived conditions that is basic training he is equally impressed by the young marines who have volunteered for the lengthy study during their stressful boot camp experience more since most of the marine recruits volunteering for the study are 18 and 19 years old and of different genders races and ethnic groups letizia believes the studys findings could provide data for the reopening of colleges due to the overlap of of the demographics between our cohort and those of otherwise young healthy americans that are traveling and returning back to school poolees wait to be tested for covid19 at the citadel a public military college temporarily utilized to stage poolees for a 14day observation period in charleston