Sailors on warships like USS Theodore Roosevelt vulnerable as coronavirus spreads

At least 36 crew from the American aircraft carrier have tested positive for Covid-19 and it has been quarantined in Guam

Disease can be transmitted faster on such vessels where thousands of people work and live together in close quarters, experts say

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An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Philippine Sea earlier this month. The warship is docked in Guam while its crew gets tested for the coronavirus. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:30pm, 29 Mar 2020Updated: 11:36pm, 29 Mar 2020

With thousands of sailors working and living together in close quarters, those aboard warships – especially massive aircraft carriers like the USS Theodore Roosevelt – are vulnerable to infectious diseases like the coronavirus, military analysts say.

The first outbreak on an American warship at sea was reported last week, and at least 36 sailors aboard the Roosevelt have now tested positive for Covid-19, a US Navy official said on Friday.

Cases on the aircraft carrier – which has been quarantined in Guam while its entire crew of 5,000 are tested – account for at least one-third of all reported infections within the United States military.

General John Hyten, vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Friday that testing of the ship’s crew could take up to a week.

But military experts said it could take much longer for the aircraft carrier to get back to sea.

“Besides the testing for Covid-19, the US Navy will need a couple of weeks to disinfect the entire aircraft carrier,” said Beijing-based military observer Zhou Chenming.

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