More USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors are in the hospital with the coronavirus, and one is in the ICU

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More USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors are in the hospital with the coronavirus, and one is in the ICU
An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the
  • Four more US Navy sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt are in the hospital due to the coronavirus.
  • One of the sailors is in the ICU for "increased observation due to shortness of breath," the Navy said in a statement.
  • On Monday, another sailor who had been in the ICU after he was found unresponsive in isolation died of coronavirus-related complications.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

More sailors assigned to deployed US Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, the Navy said in a statement Tuesday.

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Four of the ship's sailors are in the hospital, and one has been placed in an intensive care unit "for increased observation due to shortness of breath." The sailor in the ICU is the second to end up there since the outbreak began.

A sailor who tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30 was found unresponsive in isolation, resuscitated using CPR, and placed in the ICU at US Naval Hospital Guam on April 9. The sailor died of coronavirus-related complications on April 13, the Navy said on Monday.

"The entire Department is deeply saddened by the loss of our first active duty member to COVID-19," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Monday.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the USS Theodore Roosevelt sailor who lost his battle with the virus today," he added. "We remain committed to protecting our personnel and their families while continuing to assist in defeating this outbreak."

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The Navy announced the first three coronavirus cases aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt on March 24. As of Tuesday, 589 sailors on the carrier had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Capt. Brett Crozier is also reportedly in quarantine after contracting the coronavirus. Crozier is the former commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt who was relieved of command after his letter warning of an impending crisis and pressing the Navy to take decisive action was leaked to the media.

"If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset - our Sailors," Crozier wrote, adding that, "Sailors do not need to die."

Crozier also called for the evacuation of the majority of the ship. As of Tuesday, over 4,000 of the ship's crew of roughly 4,800 sailors had been moved ashore in Guam, where the aircraft carrier is in port as the Navy handles this outbreak.

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