Is using naval hospital ships a good idea?

SPC David S. — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:22:51 -0400

It looking at how COVID-19 was a problem on cruise ships as well with the latest incident aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt is it a good idea using navy ships to help mitigate the shortages in medical personnel and equipment? Can the navy prevent covid-19 aboard the Mercy and other ships being called into service due the pandemic?

https://www.navytimes.com/news/coronavirus/2020/04/01/navy-to-evacuate-thousands-of-sailors-from-carrier-theodore-roosevelt-amid-covid-19-pandemic/

https://apnews.com/564c86d2b78a6e1b1f0be [login to see] a

Navy to evacuate 2,700 sailors from carrier over ‘next couple days’ amid COVID-19 pandemic

Modly said 93 sailors aboard the Roosevelt have tested positive for the virus, while 593 have tested negative.

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Apr 2 at 2020 1:27 AM

CW4 Craig Urban — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:27:02 -0400

Where were you during NAM

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 2 at 2020 1:47 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:47:20 -0400

Yes and no. People focus on the ship. It's an asset usually docked but mostly loaded with supplies. It isn't a pandemic fighter. It does take load off shoreside hospitals which can focus more effort elsewhere. The big "no" is the staff that gets pulled to man it. Services at the Naval Hospitals they come from are curtailed. I remember coming back from the badlands needing knee surgery. Nope, they're out on the Mercy. Go to Army Madigan at Ft Lewis. Oh, you need the surgery now? You're really a bother but just to make you go away, we'll OK one visit to University of Washington Sports Medicine. Oh, the Pro from Dover says you need surgery now? You really are a bother but OK. You're Navy and we really don't want to take care of you so we'll let that guy who opened his mouth do it. Like the anal focus on ventilators and none on qualified staff to use them and subsequently perform bronchoscopies (the real fix to keep you breathing), generally too much is made of a single ship being somewhere. 12 ORs is nice, but NYC has hundreds. Nice optics though. How much of a dent does that really make? Navy personnel are getting reduced services as we speak with both ships out. Now the CinC wants two more ships. And where do those personnel come from when the ships show up years from now? The ships are critical when they are forward taking care of us. They are an albatross when they are diverted to do something else.

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Apr 2 at 2020 5:53 AM

LTC Kevin B. — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 05:53:17 -0400

I don't debate that we do run a risk of a COVID-19 outbreak on the ship. However, what are the alternatives? No additional assets being brought to bear in the fight? That's not helpful in relieving the stress. Mobilizing a military field hospital? That takes more time than moving the ship up the coastline. Constructing new civilian hospitals? That takes even more time. Given the circumstances, using the ship was likely the best short-term approach.

I think the primary differences between the Navy hospital and the cruise ship are that a) the hospital patient population is less mobile than the cruise line passenger population and b) the Navy hospital is more equipped and better trained to manage/contain an outbreak than a private cruise liner. Both lead to a lower probability of an outbreak spreading throughout the ship. Does it eliminate the threat? No, but it does reduce the probability of it occurring. The same thing could happen within a brick-and-mortar hospital.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 10:12 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:12:24 -0400

If it does get an outbreak and the whole ship is infected it's the best possible thing as it's the most readily isolated hospital in the world.
All ahead flank! Destination - middle of ocean for 2 weeks.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Apr 2 at 2020 12:30 PM

LT Brad McInnis — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:30:19 -0400

They aren't taking COVID patients. They will be taking Critical ICU patients to open up ICU's in the hospitals for COVID cases. The hospital ship are well qualified to do this type of stuff.

Response by SFC Michael D. made Apr 3 at 2020 2:27 PM

SFC Michael D. — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:27:03 -0400

I've actually been on the USS Comfort and USS Mercy. The answer is yes.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 3 at 2020 5:49 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:49:39 -0400

Look, NO Virus patients, but folks needing urgent care- heart attacks, stroke, etc. so the civilians can use that space for the virus.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 3 at 2020 11:10 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 23:10:04 -0400

Isn't the concept of the operation to put infected people in the ships?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2020 4:28 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 04:28:53 -0400

The Navy needs to acknowledge that the ship will inevitably become contaminated by taking on any patients and begin to take COVID19 patients now to help or just go back out to sea. There are methods they could use to attempt to contain the virus on the ship such as dirty and clean areas lots of PPE and Decon areas but what they're doing now isn't really helping. I read an article yesterday stating that both hospital ships together only had less than 30 patients due to the very narrow list of conditions and categories of patients they would accept.....that's just sad.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 4 at 2020 3:21 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 15:21:13 -0400

Mercy and Comfort are designed to provide wartime emergency hospital capabilities. They have been used to support humanitarian missions in many places over the last 20+ years. The humanitarian missions provided for training for both the Ship's crew (activation, cruise, deactivation, etc.) and the Medical Crew. The deployment of both ships supporting the COVID-19 pandemic in the US is a very good use of the ships. The best efforts of the medical crew working with shore-side medical personnel may allow the ships to remain "clean." The opportunity for the virus to come aboard is large, so it's a better possibility the ships will be contaminated IMO. Assuming that happens, the ships will need to be decontaminated as part of their redeployment and deactivation process. Most importantly the ships and crews provide a real relief to shore-based medical facilities and personnel in this Medical National Emergency.

The ships also provide good public relations for the Administration, DoD, and Navy. The pictures of the hospital ship sailing into New York Harbor in the midst of the pandemic are priceless for showing the humanitarian side of the DoD and Navy.