Sailors on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which suffered a massive novel coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, have signed up for voluntary antibody tests as the vessel resumed its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, the US Navy said in a press release on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) Sailors on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which suffered a massive novel coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, have signed up for voluntary antibody tests as the vessel resumed its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, the US Navy said in a press release on Wednesday.
"An antibody test looks for the presence of specific protective proteins made by the body in response to infections," Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Maybelle Lania, a lab technician and leading petty officer of the vessel's medical department, said. "This test can detect COVID-19-specific antibodies in most people who have had an infection, whether they knew it or not."
The ship, which deployed in January, recently returned to sea after being docked in Guam as crew members completed quarantine on a rotating basis and scrubbed vessel. More than 1,200 of about 5,000 personnel on the ship contracted the virus, one of whom died.
The outbreak led to the firing of the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Brett Crozier and the resignation of acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly.
Thousands of sailors from the aircraft carrier and the embarked staffs signed on to have their blood drawn, Wednesday's release said.
Tests will be analyzed for antibodies indicating whether or not they have been previously exposed to the virus, the release added.
