Coronavirus in Indian Armed Forces: 25 INS Angre Sailors and 8 Army Men Test Positive

5 INS Angre Sailors and 8 Army Men Test Positive for Covid-19
Indian Armed Forces battles against Covid-19
5 INS Angre Sailors and 8 Army Men Test Positive for Covid-19
Indian Armed Forces battles against Covid-19

COVID-19 can affect anyone. It has not spared even the Navy personnel. Over 25 sailors of the Indian Navy have been tested positive in a naval base in Mumbai for the novel coronavirus. The infected naval officers have been quarantined in a naval hospital in Mumbai. As per a  report in HT, all the sailors are in their 20s except for one.

25 sailors test positive for COVID-19

This is the first incident of COVID-19 cases in the Indian Navy. A massive hunt is going on to track those who have come in contact with the Navy personnel. The first positive case was traced to a sailor on April 7; it is assumed he is patient zero in the Indian Navy, and he might have transmitted the virus to some of his colleagues.  The infected officers were residing in the same accommodation block on  INS Angre. After the incident, the entire block has been quarantined.

Officials are taking actions as per the established coronavirus protocol to treat the afflicted. As of now, the infection of the sailors by coronavirus was found in a naval base, and not a single case of infection so far has been reported from ships and submarines unlike the prevailing cases onboard the US and French ships.

8 cases detected in the Armed Forces

Indian Armed Forces are not free from the effect of COVID-19 outbreak. Eight cases have so far been reported in the Army as well. The maiden COVID-19 case in the Army was detected in a 34-year-old soldier in Leh. The victim’s father had returned from Iran on February 27 and was later found to be COVID-19 positive. The Army has since then shut down the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre of Leh, where the soldier was posted. The jawan was quarantined at the Ladakh Heart Foundation in Leh.

Travel history of 2 infected persons

By the end of March, two more positive cases were detected in the Army, the first one is a doctor from Kolkata, and the other is a junior Commissioned Officer from Dehradun. Both the infected persons had earlier visited Delhi. They have been quarantined and are responding well to the treatment.

Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane has said, “So far, we have only eight positive cases in the entire Indian Army, of which 2 are doctors and one nursing assistant, four are responding well to the treatment, and we had one case in Ladakh, now he is fully cured and has joined duty”.

Adjustment by Army men

Seeing the risk of the spread of coronavirus in the army camps, the senior officials of the armed forces have made slight adjustments in their routine. For the prevention of COVID-19, troops have been divided into small units; they are maintaining a physical distance of 500 meters in training and eating.

Some units have isolated themselves. Small groups have been made for the jawans within a unit so that they can maintain distance and keep  COVID-19 at bay.

Related Links:

State-wise Breakup of Covid-19 Cases in India

Preventive Measures Against Covid-19

List of Do’s And Don’ts by Centre for Lockdown 2.0 to Fight COVID-19