The U.S. Army's Public Health Command Europe has been testing COVID-19 surveillance with asymptomatic individuals. U.S. European Command personnel from different service branches have undergone PHCE's COVID-19 surveillance tests since the middle of May, the U.S. Army said Friday.
“Surveillance testing provides commanders and health care professionals information about the prevalence and infection rates of troops,” said Col. Jeremy Bearss, who leads PHCE’s laboratory sciences unit.
The tests inform officials for decisions on quarantine, movement restrictions and deployment amid the pandemic, Bearss noted.
PHCE conducts these tests as part of efforts to mitigate and address the pandemic. Over 19,000 samples have been tested since the effort's launch. The surveillance testing may continue into 2021.
