EXPERIENCE IN MEDICAL SUPPORT OF SHIPS AND UNITS OF FOREIGN ARMIES DURING THE NEW CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Abstract

The pandemic of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) threatened the combat readiness of the Armed Forces (AF) and required the urgent development and implementation of its own measures to limit the spread of the disease. Wide-spread principles to combat this disease, including social distancing, isolation of patients and quarantine of contact persons, are difficult to comply with Navy service. Given the features of habitability, autonomy and distance from the main locations, the experience gained and the measures taken during the outbreak of COVID-19 on the US Navy nuclear aircraft carrier «Theodore Roosevelt» are of great interest. It was important that at the time of diagnosis COVID-19 77% of crew members had no signs of disease, and 43% of them remained completely asymptomatic. The incidence among officers was significantly less than in ordinary and sergeant personnel. None of the officers were hospitalized. People of the white race predominated among the diseased and hospitalized (42,7 per cent and 30,4 per cent, respectively), as well as those associated with reactor operation, weapons and support personnel (27,9 per cent in total). At the same time, those servicemen who strictly followed non-specific preventive measures had a reliably lower infection rate.