Would a different approach to covid-19 be wise for the military?

2020-03-10T12:02:58-04:00

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading experts on infectious disease in the U.S., and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, once a person has contracted the new coronavirus, they cannot become infected again. So my thinking is a to execute a staggered planned infection including a quarantine period of all military troops in order to inoculate our military from covid-19. Taking into consideration of each SM's health and age. What are you thoughts?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 12:11 PM

2020-03-10T12:11:06-04:00

Purposefully infecting people has never gone the way it was intended. Way too many variables. Plus, the idea is just straight idiotic. Too many troops will be taken out of the fight causing missions and lives to be at too great a risk.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 12:11 PM

2020-03-10T12:11:44-04:00

And you got your Doctorate when? Bad idea to purposely infect anyone. They (real doctors) have no idea how people will react. back to the drawing board i think.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 12:12 PM

2020-03-10T12:12:23-04:00

SPC David S. I disagree. While the median age of those that are fatally infected is 70+ (in America), it is highly contagious. Therefore, purposely infecting everyone would explode that spiderweb effect exponentially. We wouldn't just infect ourselves, but EVERYONE we come in to contact with.
While the belief is that we will all (or the vast majority of us will) contract this virus, those outside of the fatal infection range will only suffer mild - normal flu-like symptoms. Those most at risk are the elderly and/or those with immuno-deficiencies underlying.
We have already seen that self-quanrantining does not work. The lady who came back from Italy and was the first reported case here in MO flew in to O'Hare, rode the Amtrak from Chicago to St. Louis, all before getting tested. She was told to self-quarantine in her house, along w/ her family, since they would then be infected. Her family promptly went out to a daddy/daughter dance at an elementary school, causing that school to have to shut down.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 12:24 PM

2020-03-10T12:24:53-04:00

It would be nice to know the longer term effects of this virus before doing a forced exposure. Different variants manifest in different ways. Maybe start as a funny feeling, temper and mild flu symptoms - while attacking elsewhere - causing mortality. They don't expect a vaccine for 1 - 1.5 years, so that is a factor as well. Some of the larger labs such as LabCorp and Quest have spun up testing production, but it is still a challenge.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 1:34 PM

2020-03-10T13:34:41-04:00

SPC David S. Even if you could get military men and women to go along with this, which you will not, this is one of the worst ideas that I have ever heard.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Mar 10 at 2020 2:35 PM

2020-03-10T14:35:03-04:00

We would definitely have to do it somehwere out of the way and easy to control. Maybe Tuskegee, Alabama?

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 10 at 2020 3:22 PM

2020-03-10T15:22:37-04:00

Viruses mutate, that’s why we modify vaccines each year for seasonal flu. The vaccine or inoculation for today would be ineffective next year. It remains to be seen if we will learn to accept the death caused by Covid-19 as we do our seasonal flu. Oh, bad idea.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 4:06 PM

2020-03-10T16:06:41-04:00

Absolutely not.
Might help the airline industry though, as there'd likely be a huge demand for tickets to Canada.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Mar 10 at 2020 4:25 PM

2020-03-10T16:25:08-04:00

There is no data to support such an idea and a large majority of those that have been infected had mild symptoms.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 4:51 PM

2020-03-10T16:51:39-04:00

Don't think it's practical nor wise. On the Active Compnent side, you're taking too many warfighters out of the fight. And on the RC side, that would prove difficult to accomplish as well as costly

Response by SPC Kevin Ford made Mar 10 at 2020 8:41 PM

2020-03-10T20:41:31-04:00

I've heard conflicting reports on if a person can be reinfected. Regardless, the intended consequences would make that a very bad idea.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2020 11:35 PM

2020-03-10T23:35:08-04:00

There's this crazy new invention called vaccines that would work better, cost less, and no one would die.