Dealing with a pandemic \u201cwas something I never expected to see serving in the military,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The ship\u2019s outbreak could yield a wealth of data for researchers trying to learn more about the virus.<\/p>\n
The Navy said Wednesday the rate of asymptomatic infection on the ship was about 50%, according to the Washington Post<\/a>. In contrast, the rate among the general population rate is as high as 25%.<\/p>\n The sailors can be encouraged to submit to follow-up tests, which would find antibodies created by their immune system. The antibodies\u2019 presence would help researchers determine whether immunities can be developed.<\/p>\n The crew currently is receiving medical attention and has access to the outdoors for \u201cfresh air and sunshine,\u201d Rose said, but being in quarantine for the past week has been \u201cpretty boring.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose said the Roosevelt\u2019s medical center began testing crew members showing symptoms for COVID-19 after they sailed from Vietnam. At first, just a handful of them tested positive, and they deboarded or were quarantined to the extent possible on the ship.<\/p>\n \u201cThen more and more kept testing positive, including those in my squad, so I felt it was inevitable I would test positive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n As the number of positives grew, Roosevelt Capt. Brett Crozier, who was later relieved of his command after he raised concerns about the outbreak, was granted a request to dock in Guam to deal with the medical crisis.<\/p>\n Those who tested positive remain quarantined in gyms and schools on the Navy base. Those who tested negative were isolated in hotel rooms off base.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ship is currently being deep cleaned, and part of the crew is still onboard to maintain operations,\u201d Rose said. \u201cWe\u2019re focused on getting back on the ship to continue with our jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose will be retested in a week and if found negative, will return to the ship, where he works in the weapons department.<\/p>\n He said the crew wore masks, washed hands frequently and cleaned the ship and their living quarters three times per day with a bleach solution.<\/p>\n \u201cBut social distancing is impossible on an aircraft carrier,\u201d Rose said, adding that how the virus got on the ship has not been determined.<\/p>\n The fatality was a shipmate he worked with in the weapons department, and was the first active duty service member to die of the disease.<\/p>\n Rose\u2019s parents and friends learned about the COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier from news reports.<\/p>\n \u201cIt worried me sick there for a little while,\u201d said his father, Jason, who lives in Dolores. \u201cHis first deployment turned into a heck of a show. He\u2019s tough, and said he\u2019s feeling alright.\u201d<\/p>\n In a Facebook post, Chase Rose reassured his friends and family that he was OK, and so are his fellow shipmates.<\/p>\n \u201cNever would\u2019ve have imagined the events that unfolded in the last month, but here we are,\u201d he said. \u201cWith that said \u2026 we remain ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Chase works as an aviation ordinance technician and signed up for five years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re real proud of him,\u201d said his dad.<\/p>\n A can-do, positive attitude is typical for Rose, said his mother, Jennifer Bell-Marchase, who works in the nursing field.<\/p>\n He has wanted to join the military since he was a boy, she said, and went to boot camp at age 17 after graduation.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s always been an amazing kid with a good head on his shoulders,\u201d Bell-Marchase said. \u201cHe\u2019s got a hard-core job for a such a young man, and is looking forward to getting back to his duties on the ship. He\u2019s my hero, and I\u2019m thankful he\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n She found out about the situation via a coworker who saw the first newscasts of the outbreak on the ship.<\/p>\n The incident made headlines because of the severity of the outbreak, and because Crozier was fired after he sent out a letter March 30 to military officials seeking assistance and warning of the outbreak danger. The letter, obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>, was dispersed in a way that broke the chain of command, which led to his dismissal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not at war. Sailors do not need to die,\u201d Crozier\u2019s letter states. \u201cIf we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset \u2014 our Sailors.\u201d<\/p>\n The four-page letter explains that COVID prevention guidelines of social distancing and quarantines are not possible on the ship, and that quarantine facilities were needed immediately for the crew on Guam.<\/p>\n \u201cThe spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating,\u201d Crozier wrote.<\/p>\n The email set off a series of actions including the decision by acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly to relieve Crozier of command and Modly\u2019s own resignation after a recording captured him insulting Crozier while addressing the Roosevelt crew.<\/p>\n News video shows hundreds of the ship\u2019s crew cheering and applauding their captain as he deboarded. News reports Friday said senior Navy staff were recommending that he be reinstated.<\/p>\n Chase told his family Crozier had the respect of the crew and was a good captain.<\/p>\n