An investigation of the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier's coronavirus outbreak could boost knowledge of how it spreads and aid a vaccine.
An investigation by the Navy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into the outbreak of the coronavirus on board the San Diego-based aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt could yield data valuable not just to the military, but also to the greater scientific community in the race to better understand the virus, the Navy says.More than 17% of the ship’s approximately 4,845 sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus — 856 sailors.
The goal of the investigation, officials say, is to better understand the behavior of the virus and to apply those lessons to other Navy ships and military units.The outbreak on the Roosevelt presents an opportunity to understand how the disease spreads in a relatively controlled environment, said Shane Crotty, a virologist and professor in the Vaccine Discovery Division at La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego.
On the Roosevelt, Applehans said, the rate of asymptomatic sailors testing positive for the virus is on the high end of what the CDC says can be expected in the general population. Among the questions Crotty has is whether asymptomatic people who test positive for the virus develop an immune response — something the CDC’s antibody test might reveal.
“What this outbreak investigation will provide is some basic information about exposure to the virus aboard the ship and the development of antibodies from that exposure,” Applehans said. “We hope it is useful in providing some additional information on how this virus is transmitted.”In addition to the blood and saliva samples taken from sailors, officials also had volunteers fill out surveys, to track their locations on board the ship.
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