Coronavirus survivors banned from joining the military

[Elderberry]

Military Times 05/06/2020

 As the Defense Department negotiates its way through the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout, military entrance processing stations are working with new guidance when it comes to bringing COVID-19 survivors into the services.

A past COVID-19 diagnosis is a no-go for processing, according to a recently released MEPCOM memo circulating on Twitter.

“During the medical history interview or examination, a history of COVID-19, confirmed by either a laboratory test or a clinician diagnosis, is permanently disqualifying ...” the memo reads.

More: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/05/06/coronavirus-survivors-banned-from-joining-the-military/

[GtHawk]

Does this mean they are going to discharge all the current members of the military that have or test positive for Coronavirus? I am having trouble grasping the permanently disqualified thing.

[LegalAmerican]

That is a weird thing to say.  I would think, they WANT healthy people who survived this virus & are now immune. 



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[Fishrrman]

Well, what does this say to the concept of "herd immunity"?

I'm wondering if this story doesn't edge into the fake news category, or is being mis-reported.

[Elderberry]

Updated guidance allows unhospitalized COVID-19 survivors to join the military

Military Times 5/7/2020

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/05/07/updated-guidance-allows-unhospitalized-covid-19-survivors-to-join-the-military/
 

The command in charge of processing new recruits into the services has updated its policy for accessing coronavirus survivors, loosening restrictions banning anyone who has been diagnosed to only those who were hospitalized because of complications.

The change came days after an original memo circulated on Twitter, causing an uproar in the face of a pandemic that will touch millions of Americans, according to public health estimates.

That guidance was part of an “interim” memo, which characterized a COVID-19 diagnosis as a no-go, updated on Wednesday, a defense official told Military Times.

“During the medical history interview or examination, a history of COVID-19, confirmed by either a laboratory test or a clinician diagnosis, is permanently disqualifying ...” the memo reads.

Military Entrance Processing Command will now accept recruits who have previously tested positive for coronavirus as long as they haven’t been hospitalized, the official confirmed, a clarifying update of what is still interim guidance.

More at link.

[Smokin Joe]

That makes a little more sense. Having been hospitalized likely means some lung damage may have occurred. Like a history of Asthma as a child that went away with puberty, it would be a disqualification.

(My brother tried to join the Air Force, they denied him. He'd played Sousaphone in a shuck-and-jive marching band for four years (through High School) and had just graduated when he tried to get in.)

[Elderberry]

My son had Asthma as a child, but it cleared up when we pulled the carpet outta the house. He had no problem joining the Navy.

[Smokin Joe]

My son had Asthma as a child, but it cleared up when we pulled the carpet outta the house. He had no problem joining the Navy.

In 1971 The Air Force rejected my brother and claimed a history of Asthma as the reason. My brother had shots for years, but played a B-flat coronet in bands from grade school, and switched to the Sousaphone in High School because the band was one short for the marching line-up. They would shuck and jive through miles-long parade routes like the Volunteer Fireman's State Convention Parade in Ocean City MD (at the time the vast majority of firefighters in MD were volunteer). His asthma went away with puberty.

Didn't matter, they 4-F'd him.

[Elderberry]

Well it was 2005 when he joined up with 4 others from his HS wrestling team.

[The_Reader_David]

Sounds like a policy that hasn't been thought through very well.   If they stick to it, we'll have a significant man-power shortage in the military, as I fully expect more or less the whole population not just of the US, but of the whole developed world to have caught it.

[LegalAmerican]

That makes a little more sense. Having been hospitalized likely means some lung damage may have occurred. Like a history of Asthma as a child that went away with puberty, it would be a disqualification.

(My brother tried to join the Air Force, they denied him. He'd played Sousaphone in a shuck-and-jive marching band for four years (through High School) and had just graduated when he tried to get in.)

One would think his lungs are in great shape, after all the exercising them, with saxophone.  Blowing in and out. 

[Smokin Joe]

One would think his lungs are in great shape, after all the exercising them, with saxophone.  Blowing in and out.

Not saxophone, Sousaphone: (Tuba variety).



Marching for three miles of parade route, playing and doing the choreographed drills similar to the half-time ones.

His lungs were in great shape, but they said no.

[LegalAmerican]

Not saxophone, Sousaphone: (Tuba variety).



Marching for three miles of parade route, playing and doing the choreographed drills similar to the half-time ones.

His lungs were in great shape, but they said no.

Holy moly.....I thought maybe a typo? or auto correct.  That is ONE BIG INSTRUMENT.  Never heard of that before.  TUBA , yes.

[Smokin Joe]

Holy moly.....I thought maybe a typo? or auto correct.  That is ONE BIG INSTRUMENT.  Never heard of that before.  TUBA , yes.

Yes, we were stunned when they turned him down on the basis of his medical history.

But it was 1971 and The military was starting their RIF, already having reduced troops in South Vietnam by half...

Sign of the times.