A new study released by the CDC says that the crew onboard quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess were impacted by the spread of coronavirus. The study states that the crew working in the Food Service had the highest rate of reported positive cases of COVID-19.

“Because the first detected cases occurred among passengers who became symptomatic on January 22 and 23, COVID-19 was likely transmitted first from passengers to crew members and subsequently spread among the crew, especially among food service workers. The first case detected in a crew member occurred in a food service worker who developed fever on February 2. A real-time polymerase chain reaction test performed by the Yokohama quarantine office laboratory was positive for SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, and the crew member was permitted to disembark in Yokohama on February 4.” States the report released by top experts of infectious diseases and public health experts of Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and US Department of Health and Human Services.

“The crew dining area was identified as the primary area of congregation for the crew; passengers did not have access to this part of the ship. The earliest laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in crew members occurred in food service workers; 15 of the 20 confirmed cases in crew members occurred among food service workers who prepared food for other crew members, and 16 of the 20 cases occurred among persons with cabins on deck 3, the deck on which the food service workers lived.” 

You can read the full Diamond Princess investigation report on the CDC website here.