One of the sailors evacuated from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the wake of a COVID-19 infection was found unresponsive Thursday and is now hospitalized in intensive care in Guam.
“I guess deep down, I was hoping that we would never to the point — I was hoping that the numbers would be zero at the end of this, but that’s just not going to be the case with coronavirus,” Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
Hyten said almost all of the ship’s 4,865 crew members had now been tested, with 416 sailors testing positive, of which 187 are showing symptoms.
There are still about 1,000 test results that have not yet come back.
Hyten did not identify the sailor who required hospitalization but said he was among the 2,700 sailors who were staying in hotels and other facilities on Guam and was being checked on twice a day by Navy medical staff.
“We’re hoping that that sailor recovers,” Hyten said. “We’re praying for him and his family, and his shipmates.”
The Pentagon reported that as of Thursday morning, there were 3,132 cases of coronavirus infection across the uniformed and civilian personnel and their families, with 64 cases requiring hospitalization.
Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist said the 64 cases represented less than 100th of 1% of the 1.4 million active-duty force.
“To those who wish us harm, make no mistake: Even with the challenges that this disease has brought to our shores, the Department of Defense stands ready to meet any threat and defend our nation,” Norquist said.
Hyten said the Pentagon was now working through how to plan for further infections on other ships and among other units.
“I think it’s not a good idea to think the Teddy Roosevelt is a one-of-a-kind issue. We have too many ships at sea,” he said. “To think that it will never happen again is not a good way to plan.”
