Army Employs All-Out Effort to Combat COVID-19

22.03.2020 05:26

Sofmag.com

MARCH 20, 2020 | BY DAVID VERGUN, DOD NEWS

Army researchers are working to rapidly develop and test experimental vaccines to combat COVID-19, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said.

The Army is also collaborating with the private sector and other government entities on 24 vaccine candidates, some of which are headed for human testing after having been tested on animals, he said.

McCarthy conducted a Pentagon press briefing today to discuss the Army’s efforts to prevent the spread of and find a cure for COVID-19.

The Army and other partners are working to more rapidly conduct COVID-19 testing to screen the force at a higher rate, he said. Currently, testing is at a rate of 810 samples per day and plans are to increase that to more than 16,000 per day.

The Army has nine medical treatment facilities with clinical laboratories certified to conduct testing, he noted.

In the treatment effort, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with state governments in 13 states — and that number will reach 18 by this evening — to provide planning and concept development and increase bed space on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.

“The Army is ready to surge additional medical support if asked,” McCarthy added.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, the U.S. Army has 45 cases of COVID-19, including 21 soldiers, six civilians, eight family members and 10 contractors, he said.

Force health protection plans at U.S. military installations in hard-hit Italy and South Korea have greatly reduced the number of infections that could have occurred had measures not been enforced such as modifying training activities, delaying moves, quarantining anyone suspected of having the virus, enforcing social distancing and promoting good hygiene, he said, adding that the Army is rapidly ramping up similar measures throughout the force.

Recruiting stations are shutting down and recruiters are recruiting virtually, meaning through social media, he said.

The Army is also moving to install virtual learning for its educational institutions like the Army War College and the U.S. Military Academy, he said.

Due to the developing situation, updates will be made as information is available.

The Army is taking precautionary measures to protect the health of the force and maintain operational readiness. We will continue to evaluate current day-to-day operations to ensure the safety of all of our Soldiers, family members and civilian personnel. We encourage all personnel to follow the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PCS and training delays:

Out of an abundance of caution, Headquarters, Department of the Army has made the decision to suspend movement and delay travel of Soldiers stationed in Italy and Korea, which have been identified by the Centers for Disease Control as alert level three for COVID-19.

This guidance includes:

Soldiers who are on permanent change of station (PCS) orders, to and from.
Soldiers conducting professional military education (PME).
Foreign Military Student training and travel restrictions. Force Health Protection is the Army’s top priority. Protecting the force includes mitigating the spread of the virus and ensuring personnel have the most up-to-date information on appropriate measures to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.

The 24-hour Army service center number for personnel requiring additional assistance on travel is: 1-800-582-5552 (select option #5).

If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, service members and their beneficiaries can call the Military Health System nurse advice line 24/7 at 1-800-874-2273 (select option #1)