Army testing vaccine on monkeys

Army researchers at Fort Detrick, Md., are testing a potential coronavirus vaccine on monkeys, the first of multiple steps in manufacturing a widely available prevention against the virus, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters April 6. The Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases has begun primate testing. DoD is involved in five different clinical vaccine trials, in addition to supporting other federal agencies conducting their own testing, said Air Force Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Paul Friedrichs, Joint Staff surgeon. The military is also testing a number of drug mixtures that could dampen the severity of coronavirus' symptoms, or the length of the time of an infection. Friedrichs said it's possible those results will come faster than a potential vaccine. Those also include trials with hydroxychloroquine. Friedrichs said that while that drug is "not widely being distributed" to military personnel, DoD is conducting a small-group study on its capabilities to treat COVID-19 cases. (Source: Military.com 04/96/20) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/04/06/army-researchers-begin-animal-testing-coronavirus-vaccine.html

PCS moves may extend into July

A world-wide stop-movement order delaying all military moves into mid-May may be extended into July, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein surmised during a live Facebook townhall session April 6. "My sense is that we're probably going to see an extension of the stop movement for some period of time," Goldfein said . "I believe the SecDef is looking to make a decision on that either this week or next." The Defense Department issued travel restrictions March 14 blocking all troops and their families from starting permanent change of station moves through May 11 as officials sought to stem the tide of the COVD-19 pandemic. (Source: Military.com 04/07/20)

Mil.ID cards automatic extension

Military dependent and retiree ID cards that expire this year will get an automatic extension through September, while some other ID card updates and enrollments are now permitted by fax or mail, according to new Pentagon guidance. The changes are designed for military families and retirees in avoiding visits to base ID card offices during the coronavirus pandemic, the memo states. The change was announced April 7 and sent to service chiefs and signed by Matthew Donovan, undersecretary for personnel and readiness. (Source: Military.com 04/08/20) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/04/08/pentagon-extends-id-card-expiration-dates-allows-mail-order-some.html

Modly out; McPherson on deck

WASHINGTON – Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly resigned April 7 after his response, to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, engulfed the Navy in a command crisis and a public relations snafu. SECDEF Mark T. Esper accepted Modly’s resignation Tuesday morning. “He resigned of his own accord,” Esper wrote in a letter, “putting the Navy and the sailors above self so that the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the Navy as an institution, can move forward.” SECDEF said he had briefed President Trump on the resignation. Next up for the Navy’s top civilian job, Esper said, will be Jim McPherson, current Army undersecretary. (Source: Washington Post 04/07/20)

KAFB Tech Sgt earns AETC award

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) named its 2019 annual award winners virtually on April 6 from its webpage due to the coronavirus. Winners in 18 categories were announced by the AETC command team of Lt. Gen. Brad Webb and Chief Master Sgt. Julie Gudgel. “This year’s competition was simply one of the best I’ve seen,” said Lt. Gen. Webb. AETC winners from Gulf Coast regional AF bases included Honor Guard Member of the Year: Airman 1st Class Sidney Wells, 42nd Force Support Squadron, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Military Training Instructor of the Year: Master Sgt. Bobby Johnson, Officer Training School at Air University at Maxwell; Military Training Leader of the Year: Technical Sgt. Landon Spaulding, 81st Training Support Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss.; Civilian Non-Supervisory Category Four: Dr. John Hinck, Ira C. Eaker Center for Leadership Development, Air University at Maxwell; and Civilian Supervisory Category Four: Reagon Schaupp, Air Command and Staff College, Air University at Maxwell. (Source: AETC 04/07/20) https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2141220/aetc-announces-2019-annual-award-winners/

Blue Angels awaiting new normal

Beyond returning home in March from winter training, with a flyover of downtown Pensacola, Fla., the Navy’s Blue Angels have been relatively quiet. The first 18 shows of the 2020 airshow season, through May 17 at least, have been canceled due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. None of the personnel assigned to the team have contracted the virus of symptoms, says Blue Angels Flight Surgeon Lt. Cmdr. Aaron Hicks. The team is practicing as it normally would throughout the week from Naval Air Station Pensacola. The doctor oversees the health and well-being of the team that includes 16 officers and about 130 enlisted personnel. The Blues benefit from two on-site hospital corpsmen who are EMT-level medical personnel. The duo has been assisting Hicks in monitoring the team. The Navy deemed naval aviation to be mission-essential. Navy and Marine pilots across the country, including the Blues, fall under that umbrella. The Blues are not holding public practice viewings until May 26-27. In total, they will have 24 practices between late May and late September. Those practices are still planned. Despite the uncertainty, stress and anguish over the coronavirus, Hicks says spirits remain high within the Blue Angels. People can still hear and see the Blue Angels multiple times a week as they practice over southwest Escambia County. Like everyone else, they are hoping to get back to a normal routine. The first possible show could come May 20 in Annapolis, Md., home to the U.S. Naval Academy. All shows leading up to that date are canceled. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 04/07/20) https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/04/07/coronavirus-florida-blue-angels-keep-practicing-through-uncertainty/5103024002.

Comfort crewman tests positive

A crew member aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort, in NYC’s harbor, tested positive for the coronavirus on the day President Donald Trump announced the ship would begin accepting COVID-19 patients. While the sailor’s case of COVID-19 is the first among the ship’s crew, it is not the only confirmed case that has found its way aboard Comfort. Two days before the crew member tested positive, multiple confirmed COVID-19 patients had been errantly transferred to the ship from a NYC facility. Patients who boarded Comfort on April 3 were reportedly not tested for the coronavirus until they were on the ship. Patients remained in isolation while awaiting test results, which take approximately 24 hours. Each patient who tested positive has since been removed from the ship and returned to NYC’s Javits Center to continue treatment. Comfort arrived March 30 in NYC with a mission of treating non-COVID patients. As of April 4, the ship had treated fewer than 30 people, a number that’s expected to spike with the admittance of coronavirus patients. The sailor has been moved into isolation aboard the ship, Navy officials told ABC News. “There is no impact to Comfort’s mission, and this will not affect the ability for Comfort to receive patients,” Navy officials said. The sailor did not come into contact with patients, officials told ABC. Other sailors who have interacted with the infected crew member have tested negative. The individual may have been asymptomatic when first boarding the ship in Norfolk, Va., according to the ABC report. (Source: Navy Times 04/07/20) https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/04/07/first-case-of-coronavirus-confirmed-among-crew-of-hospital-ship-comfort/

Airbus pauses work in Mobile

Airbus temporarily has paused production of its A320 and A220 jetliners at its Mobile, Ala., facility in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The pause begins this week and is expected to last until April 29. (Source: Airbus, 04/06/20)

Blues footage behind TG scene

Top Gun: Maverick's release has been delayed to December due to COVID-19, however, the marketing team behind the film keeps trickling out behind the scenes footage to keep people's interest going. The most intriguing part of the second trailer was a shot of a fictional hypersonic test jet blowing the roof off a guard shack. You can read more about that trailer and the shot in question in this article. Now, we get to see a bit more about how they captured that sequence, including using a Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet to test and prepare for the shot. (Source: The Drive 04/05/20) https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32899/this-blue-angels-flyby-is-how-top-gun-2-captured-that-crazy-hypersonic-jet-takeoff-scene

Rumor Control sources virus myths

The Defense Department has launched an online resource - called Rumor Control - to quell myths and incorrect information swirling around the coronavirus pandemic. “Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis,” Defense Department spokesperson John Supple told NextGov, “and we wanted to provide a trusted source of information to stop the spread of disinformation.” Rumor Control addresses a variety of “myths” related to COVID-19 and the government’s response to it, such as “the U.S. military is implementing martial law,” “U.S. service members visiting China were the source of the coronavirus outbreak” and “all routine appointments at military hospitals and clinics are cancelled.” Immediately below each myth, the department offers links to facts to counter false claims. (Source: NextGov 04/06/20) https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2020/04/pentagon-launches-coronavirus-mythbuster-site/164383/

Mobile fire firm added to $90M pact

A multiple-award contract announced on Sept. 26, 2019, with a combined value of $90,000,000, has added Firetrol Protection Systems Inc., Mobile, Ala. (N69450-20-D-0005), as one of five awardees to design and build fire protection construction projects located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of operations. (Source: Update DoD 04/06)

La. base repair, ops pact

SupplyCore Inc. of Rockford, Ill., has been awarded a maximum $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is an 18-month bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Louisiana, Texas and Illinois, with an Oct. 6, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2020 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa. (Source: DoD 04/06/20)

Bronx zoo tiger with COVID-19

A tiger at the Bronx (NY) zoo has been confirmed to be infected with Covid-19. “This is the first instance of a tiger being infected with Covid-19,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which noted that although only one tiger was tested, the virus appeared to have infected other animals. Several lions and tigers at the zoo showed symptoms of respiratory illness, according to a statement by the Agriculture department. Public health officials believe the large cats caught the virus from a zoo employee. The tiger appeared visibly sick March 27. In a statement, the agriculture department suggested that those infected with the virus should, “out of an abundance of caution,” avoid contact with their pets and other animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that it is “aware of a very small number of pets outside the United States reported to be infected. The CDC has said that it does not have evidence that pets can spread the coronavirus. (Source: NY Times 04/06/20)

Blacks’ mistrust of medicine looms

NEW YORK - Just as the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, gym members here called the fitness center where Rahmell Peebles worked, asking him to freeze their memberships. Peebles, a 30-year-old black man who’s skeptical of what he hears from media and the government, initially didn’t see the need for alarm. “I felt it was a complete hoax,” he said. “This thing happens every two or four years. We have an outbreak of a disease that seems to put everybody in a panic.” Peebles is among about 40M black Americans deciding whether to put their faith in government and the medical community during the pandemic. There are historic failures from government to disasters and emergencies, medical abuse, neglect and exploitation. All have jaded generations of blacks into a distrust of public institutions. Some call that skepticism the “Tuskegee effect" - distrust linked to the government’s once-secret study of black men in Alabama who were left untreated for syphilis. Black people have suffered disproportionately from chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease; and far more likely to be uninsured. How the government and medical community responds will be especially crucial for outcomes among black Americans, civil rights advocates and medical experts say. (Source: The AP 04/05/20) https://www.djournal.com/news/nation-world/amid-coronavirus-pandemic-black-mistrust-of-medicine-looms/article_1a937ad1-1e50-5303-9bb6-53ad28e1e246.html

GC states' COVID-19 numbers

With 104 new COVID-19 cases and four additional known deaths, Mississippi’s total count of known cases of the new coronavirus stands at 1,177 with 26 deaths, according to the Daily Journal of April 2. The state is also now reporting outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, throughout the state. In Northeast Mississippi, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Oktibbeha, Prentiss and Union counties have known outbreaks in long-term care facilities. Throughout the rest of the state, counties with outbreaks of the new coronavirus at long-term care facilities include Amite, Bolivar, Forrest, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Marion, Neshoba Pearl River, Smith, Tunica and Warren. (Source: Daily Journal 04/02/20) NY Times totals as of April 3 for four Gulf Coast States: Louisiana COVID-19 cases: 12,496; 267 per 100,000 people; 412 deaths; 8.8 percent per 100,000. Orleans Parish numbers: 3,966 cases; 1017.8 per 100K; 153 deaths at 39.3 per 100K; St. John the Baptist Parish: 338 cases: 778.0 per 100K; 23 deaths at 52.9 per 100K. Both Orleans (#4) and St. John parishes (#7) were ranked in the Top 10 “hot spots” in the percent of cases per 100K across the nation. Florida: 11,537 cases: 56.0 per 100K; 194 deaths at <1.0 per 100K. Alabama: 1,633 cases: 33.6 per 100K; 44 deaths at <1.0 per 100K. Mobile County: 114 cases: 27.5 per 100K; 5 deaths at 1.2 per 100K. Jefferson (B’ham area): 376 cases: 57.0 per 100K; 9 deaths at 1.4 per 100K. Mississippi: 1,455 cases: 48.7 per 100K; 35 deaths at 1.2 per 100K. Harrison County: 70 cases; 34.5 per 100K; 3 deaths at 1.5 per 100K. Lauderdale County: 61 cases; 78.9 per 100K; 1 death at 1.3 per 100K. https://www.djournal.com/news/new-covid-19-cases-include-northeast-mississippi-nursing-homes/article_738c01f7-a015-5d91-ae32-da9b6bde5ece.html

COVID-19 tests hit uninsured hard

After a cruise to Cozumel, Brittany Marie Wells’ cough escalated to chest pains that dropped the 30-year-old to her knees on the kitchen floor. "I started crying," she told the Columbus Dispatch. Her mother wanted to take her to the hospital, but Wells refused to go. But without health insurance, she feared that ER visit would just be another bill she’s already having trouble paying. She’s hardly alone. For many uninsured Mississippians saddled with medical debt, hospital visits/stays are a chance they can't afford. Even getting a coronavirus test, which can cost hundreds of dollars for the uninsured, can be a hard choice. But in Mississippi, the pandemic may hit particularly hard when the state's high rate of uninsured population (about 12% as of 2018) paired with the nation's highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate, data shows. That ranks Mississippi fifth in the nation for the rate of uninsured residents. As of April 2, Mississippi had a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 31 percent, the highest among the 40 states that report hospitalization data, according to the COVID-19 Tracking Project. For the uninsured, help may be on the horizon. Free testing is available at the Mississippi Public Health Laboratory and state-affiliated drive-up sites across the state. President Donald Trump pledged federal funds to reimburse hospitals that treat uninsured COVID-19 patients. But, comprehensive help has not arrived and affordable services and resources remain scarce in the Golden Triangle. A pet care worker in Lowndes County, who asked not to be named due to privacy concerns, hopes the government could help cover the uninsured. "I don't believe in freebies," she said. "But I think this is the one time that the government needs to step up and not charge people if they have to get tested ... (or) go into the hospital.” Meanwhile, the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) began offering free testing March 27 through the state public health lab, which runs some 380 tests daily - and at its affiliated drive-up testing sites across the state, said MSDH spokesperson Elizabeth Grey. However, those services haven’t arrived to the Golden Triangle area. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 04/04/20) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=80460.

AL scientists play role in COVID-19

Researchers and scientists across Alabama, and with affiliations with its universities, are playing a major role in development of coronavirus treatments, testing and response across America. Auburn University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Alabama in Huntsville all are contributing to the development of virus treatments and community research. Richard Cullum, an AU doctoral candidate in chemical engineering, works for Assurance Scientific Labs in Birmingham as a member of the R&D team that created a test for COVID-19 in less than two weeks. The Huntsville-based Diatherix Eurofins diagnostics lab developed a panel to help identify the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Dr. Richard Whitley, a professor at UAB, is the primary researcher behind the investigational drug remdesivir used to treat COVID-19. Remdesivir was developed through research at UAB’s Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center. Dr. Jerome Baudry, a biology professor at the UAH, is part of an effort led by Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory that uses supercomputers to examine existing compounds that could be used to treat COVID-19. Dr. Philip Gable, associate professor of psychology at UA, was awarded a federal grant to study how emotions influence people’s response to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The project is part of the National Science Foundation’s Rapid Response Research funding program to understand the spread of COVID-19, its transmission and prevention. “... (T)here is a tremendous amount of uncertainty in day-to-day life around the globe,” Gable said. “We are interested in the role uncertainty plays in how people feel and behave … (and) to see how non-conscious emotions toward avoiding the virus influence health behaviors.” A group of Auburn engineers developed a way to quickly convert CPAP machines into ventilators to treat COVID-19. (Source: AL.com 04/04/20) https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/alabama-researchers-scientists-play-important-role-in-national-covid-19-response.html

How GC states responded to Census

The 2020 census response rate among the four Gulf Coast states out of 50: #25 Alabama – 43.9%; #27 Mississippi – 43.6%; #31 Florida – 42.4%; and #39 Louisiana – 40.9%. The national return rate was 43.9%. (Source: Census 2020 04/03/20) https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html?utm_campaign=20200403msc20s1ccallnl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

MANG flights deliver citizens home

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - In the early morning hours of April 3 (12:45 a.m.), a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster touched down at Duke Field near Crestview, Fla. On board were Americans flown from Colombia as part of a U.S. State Department’s effort to bring citizens home as foreign borders tighten, along with commercial travel options, against the spread of COVID-19. The April 3 flight was the second time within a week that Eglin AFB, and the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered at Duke Field, had helped to get Americans home. On March 31, a first MANG C-17 flight, from Panama, touched down in the evening, according to Eglin spokesperson Andy Bourland. In all, 86 people were flown back to the U.S. Passengers included State Department personnel, expatriate Americans and Mormon missionaries, which made up the majority of people out of Colombia, Bourland said. Each flight carried “several” 7th SFG(A) troops. None of the evacuees remained in the immediate area as of late morning April 3, Bourland said. The evacuees were exempt from a 14-day quarantine period, said Bourland. The missionaries were relocated to Pensacola, he continued. The remaining evacuees dispersed to their homes. All of the evacuees had been screened for illnesses on three separate occasions - U.S. embassies, as they boarded flights, and by medical personnel from Eglin’s 96th Medical Group. “None were ill,” Bourland said. (Source: NW Fla. Daily News 04/03/20) https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200403/coronavirus-eglin-7th-sfg-play-roles-in-getting-americans-home-as-foreign-borders-close.

MSU converting vents to AC power

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University researchers are working to convert 550-plus ventilators from battery power to AC power for use in the state’s medical response to the COVID-19 coronavirus. MSU’s Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory was contacted about converting the battery-powered ventilators, which are designed to fill temporary needs in the aftermath of emergencies like hurricanes. Once converted, they can be plugged into a wall. David Wallace, manager of the HVL, said colleagues designed modifications that allow the ventilators to run on both AC and battery power. Taylor Machine Works of Louisville, Miss., is assisting with sourcing parts for the ventilators and converting them. The ventilators are expected to be ready for use by the end of this week, and will be sent to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. (Source: MSU 04/02/20) https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2020/04/msu-high-voltage-lab-works-retrofit-550-ventilators-use-covid-19-response