Over 700 sailors from USS Theodore Roosevelt test positive: COVID-19

The USS Theodore Roosevelt./Reuters

At least 710 crew members from the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday, according to the US Navy.

Nine sailors have been hospitalized for coronavirus.

The Navy said 94% of the crew has been tested. At least 3,872 crew members tested negative for the disease.

Some background: The US Navy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched an investigation into the coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier. The inquiry will look to establish the origin of the outbreak and understand how it spread rapidly on board the ship.

To carry out the investigation, crew members are being asked on a voluntary basis to complete a survey and provide two new specimens — blood and nasal swabs — for laboratory testing, according to the Navy. It hopes to get 1,000 volunteers which is what it believes is needed for representative sampling.

Source: CNN