By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – Sweeping testing of the entire crew of the coronavirus-stricken U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt may have revealed a clue about the pandemic: The majority of the positive cases so far are among sailors who are asymptomatic, officials say.
The possibility that the coronavirus spreads in a mostly stealthy mode among a population of largely young, healthy people showing no symptoms could have major implications for U.S. policy-makers, who are considering how and when to reopen the economy.
It also renews questions about the extent to which U.S. testing of just the people suspected of being infected is actually capturing the spread of the virus in the United States and around the world.
The Navy’s testing of the entire 4,800-member crew of the aircraft carrier – which is about 94% complete – was an extraordinary move in a headline-grabbing case that has already led to the firing of the carrier’s captain and the resignation of the Navy’s top civilian official.
Roughly 60 percent of the over 600 sailors who tested positive so far have not shown symptoms of COVID-19, the potentially lethal respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, the Navy says. The service did not speculate about how many might later develop symptoms or remain asymptomatic.
“With regard to COVID-19, we’re learning that stealth in the form of asymptomatic transmission is this adversary’s secret power,” said Rear Admiral Bruce Gillingham, surgeon general of the Navy.
The figure is higher than the 25% to 50% range offered on April 5 by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force.We have a case where the real danger is hidden from view and carriers can walk among us strewing death in their wake without showing any signs or symptoms from the virus. I feel reassured all to death.
And more really bad news about the hidden virus.
3 comments:
in the 1970s and 80s, the chinese were capable of fielding a bacterial weapon of the marburg or smallpox variety,they had some of the research the japanese did in manchuria in ww2 and also help from others. at the time no one was doing viral weapons as the tech was not there. PLA did have an official stance on NBC which allowed for the use of whatever they had on line at the time. their greatest asset was and is the numbers of troops under arms. today, the tech is there. why wouldn't they use it especially if the PLA sees the CCP not doing the best of jobs for the economics of china and the economics of PLA itself.
to be remembered, the PLA is pretty much self funded by the industries it controls-everything-and anything affecting them affects PLA ability to control the country. It wasn't the cops that cleared Tieman Square, it was PLA troops and AFVs from out of town who didn't have clue what the gathering was about.
these things get shorted out of people's memories by the media's insistence everyone only pay attention to the crisis they are espousing is now critical and pay no attention to yesterday because history is no evidence of future actions. yeah...
I guess I am just not a trusting person in my old age
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