Cheonghae Unit Faces Another COVID Emergency... Numerous 'Rapid Test Positives' Confirmed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu]The Cheonghae Unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden has once again faced an emergency due to COVID-19. Among the crew members of the 36th unit (Choi Young ship), many tested positive in rapid COVID-19 tests, indicating that the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase significantly.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the 27th, one soldier in the Cheonghae Unit tested positive using the onboard rapid PCR testing device called 'X-pert' after showing COVID-19 symptoms on the afternoon of the previous day, Korean time. The Cheonghae Unit immediately conducted pooling tests using the X-pert device on all 304 crew members onboard. Pooling tests involve mixing samples from multiple individuals, and the military grouped them into teams of five for testing.

Among the 61 groups of five, 17 groups tested positive. Since the X-pert device is known to have over 99% accuracy compared to formal PCR tests, it is highly likely that at least 17 or more individuals have been confirmed positive.

The Cheonghae Unit had been docked at the port of Oman, the host country, since the 19th to receive booster shots administered on the 22nd and 24th. Currently, samples from all 304 crew members have been collected and sent to a local hospital for formal PCR testing. The results are expected to be released late in the afternoon.

Previously, in July last year, a mass infection occurred in the 34th Cheonghae Unit, prompting an unprecedented dispatch of transport aircraft to evacuate 301 crew members back to Korea.