Anyone have information on Medical Testing being conducted in a Dining Facility between meals?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:14:19 -0400

Specifically Covid testing is being done, medics are decontaminating when they are done. Can't find specific info in Regulation. @92G @68W

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2020 12:29 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:29:09 -0400

You need to speak with Preventive Medicine and an Environmental Safety Officer. I don't know about specific regs....but I can say as Preventive Medicine....I would NOT have agreed with this and would have provided a hard NOT RECOMMENDED decision. That being said, Preventive Medicine can only recommend, it cannot enforce policy. Ultimately, it's the Commander's decision.....but doing testing in a DFAC between meals....even with decon actions.....is just playing too close to the fire.

However, the one caveat is that as long as NO ONE is going anywhere near the kitchen or storage areas where plates, utensils, etc. are used for eating, then I could see why it was allowed.

Again, not something I would have recommended, but if that was the final call I would have had a long list of recommendations to reduce risk of cross contamination/exposure.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2020 2:43 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 14:43:15 -0400

The test itself takes at least 3 days to give result so there is no real point in doing it, you could be a negative on the monday test and already be infected the next day. I am on JBLM and so far I haven’t heard anything about covid testing being done at the dfacs here so far

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jun 6 at 2020 3:24 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 15:24:34 -0400

SFC Private RallyPoint Member As Long as they Don't Ask Me to Drop Trou, Turn Spread My Cheeks and Smile, I'm Cool with Any Medical Tests they want to do on Me.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2020 6:56 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 06:56:32 -0400

As guard, I don't think we are. That being said I do believe that at least cooks should be tested 1 week before returning to the kitchen just to ensure no cross contamination. Sanitation should be on the front of every cook, medic, dental, or any logistic MOS that deals with mass groups.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2020 6:09 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 18:09:32 -0400

That should fall to the preventive med team. Testing should not be necessary, just cleaning with approved cleaners. Unit field sanitation teams should be working with the preventive med team to make sure cleaning standards are met. There is testing kits to ensure cleaning solutions contain adequate chlorine to kill viruses, as chlorine levels degrade quickly. Again, field san team should be the boots on the ground doing this work. A battalion field san team should have trained, available personnel from any MOS but it's a good idea to have a medic and a cook, preferably NCOs, on the team.